Greek Angels
by EmpressOfSarcasm
Summary: *POST-TLO AND POST-MAX!* What if the flock was the seven half-bloods from Rachel's prophecy? Who are their godly parents? Is this how Max will save the world? Read to find out all these questions and more! Fax Percabeth Eggy
1. Hunters And MGeeks

**Hello, people of Earth and Mars! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride, nor do I own Percy Jackson. However much I wish I did, I do not. So don't sue me.**

Greek Angels

Chapter 1: Hunters and M-Geeks

MPOV

Flying. I'm sure you've all heard of it. I'm certain that at least three quarters of you have gone flying in airplanes. But the sort of flying that I'm talking about… well… Let's just say: No engines required!

In case you haven't figured it out, my name's Max. It's short for Maximum Ride. I'm a bird-kid. Yes, a bird-kid. I'm 98% human, and 2% bird, thanks to the scientists who created me and my "flock."

My flock is as follows: Me (Max, the sort-of "official" leader), Fang (my best friend, right-wing man, second in-command, boyfriend, and soulmate), Iggy (the blind pyro who can cook), Nudge (the Nudge Channel, all Nudge, all the time), the Gasman (Do you really wanna know why?), Angel (whose name _should _be Devil), and Total (our flying, talking, fellow mutant "Canine-American" (he hates to be called a dog)).

Right now, we were flying over New York, trying hard not to think about our recent adventure that had been in Hawaii.

"Hey, Max!" Nudge said. "I'm hungry! Can we get something to eat?"

Of course Nudge would be the first to ask. Actually, she had been talking incessantly about it nonstop for the last half-hour.

I sighed. "All right."

She, Gazzy, and Angel cheered.

I shot a glance at Fang. He was staring at me intently. I blushed. Would I ever get used to being in love? I slowed down slightly and flew next to him. "What's up?"

He smirked and said sarcastically, "The sky."

I rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean."

He chuckled. "Nothing."

We shared a look, and I turned away, blushing once again. I swear, this boy was making me blush more in an hour than I've ever blushed in my whole life!

"Hey, Max!" Angel called. "What's that?"

I looked to where she was pointing. Some objects were flying straight at us!

"It looks like…" I muttered, stopping and hovering in the air. I looked closely. My eyes widened and I gasped. "Flying M-Geeks!"

I heard Iggy groan. I knew how he felt. M-Geeks were one thing, but a _flying _version was another thing entirely.

I barely had to think before I shouted to my flock, "Split up! Angel, up top! Gazzy, nine 'o'clock! Nudge, three 'o'clock! Iggy and Fang, flank me from behind! Move it!"

We barely had time to get into position before they were upon us.

I had hardly finished off my first enemy when another was up to take its place.

I don't know how long we fought for, but it felt like an eternity.

"Don't these things ever die?" I asked in exasperation, fighting back-to-back with Fang.

I swear he chuckled as he broke an M-Geek's neck. "Yeah, but not easily."

That was when the first arrow hit an M-Geek.

I blinked in astonishment as the robot's eyes blinked out and it fell to the ground below.

I looked at Fang. He was just as shocked as me.

I looked below, and saw a group of people, dressed in silver ski parkas. Because of my extraordinary vision, I could see that they were holding actual _bows_. Like the kind you see in the movies.

More arrows assaulted the M-Geeks. None came even close to hitting us, though.

It took only one volley for the M-Geeks to get the picture. What remained of their forces retreated hastily.

I looked down. One of the girls was motioning for us to land. I decided that since, you know, they'd helped us, that they were okay to hang around.

We landed near the group. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that they were all girls.

The girl who had been motioning to us came forward. She had black hair, sort of pale skin, and freckles. She wore a "Death to Barbie" t-shirt (which I applaud her for) and a silver circlet/tiara thing in her hair. But the strangest thing about her was her eyes. They were a shocking electric blue. (Pun not intended.)

"Thank you," I said.

She nodded. "You're welcome." She held out her hand for me to shake, leaning on her bow. "Name's Thalia."

I shook her hand. "Maximum Ride. And this is my flock." I motioned to each of them and said their names.

Thalia studied all of us closely. Not in a, "I'm gonna dissect you to see your brains" kind of way. It was more of a, "Who the H-E-double hockey sticks _are _these people?" kind of way.

"Thalia," said one girl, walking over to us. "Might I ask as to why you are talking with them?"

Thalia sort of paled, then looked at Fang, Iggy, and Gazzy nervously. "You three might want to hide," she whispered to them. "Lady Artemis doesn't like boys so much."

_Lady Artemis? _I thought. _Where have I heard that name before?_

The girl came over. She looked like she was about twelve-years-old. She had pale skin, auburn hair, and wasn't very tall. Like Thalia, her eyes were her strangest feature. They were sort of a creamy silver-yellow. Like the full winter moon.

She smiled at Nudge, Angel, and I. "Hello, young demigods. My name is Artemis, Goddess of the Moon and Hunt."

I stared at her. "You mean… Like… _The _Artemis. Like the one from Greek myths and stuff?"

She frowned. "They are not _myths_, young demigod. They are truths." She turned to the guys. "I do not approve of male company in my encampment, but for you three I shall make this one exception."

Artemis started to walk away, but I walked after her. "What did you mean by-?"

She looked up at me and smiled knowingly. "You wish to know what I meant by demigods?"

I nodded, astonished that she knew what I was going to ask.

"Have you ever read the stories about Hercules? Of Perseus?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah… A bit."

She stopped near one tent and patted the head of a timber wolf. "They're all real events and people."

I stared at her. "So… What you're saying is…"

Artemis nodded. "Yes, young demigod. The gods are alive, and very much real. I am one of them. They still go around today having affairs with mortals, something that, I might add, I never understood. Today, though, instead of being on Mount Olympus in Greece, we are here. In America."

She paused for a moment. "I should probably let Chiron explain this to you when you get to camp."

She walked away, but I still had more questions. Though, I had a feeling that this "Chiron" person, whoever he was, would tell me what I wanted to know.

**Soooo… Love it? Hate it? Review!**

**-A$h **


	2. Camp HalfBlood

**Hey everybody! I'm back!**

**Thank you all for your amazing reviews! They made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. As much as I wish I did, I did not come up with them. (Darn…)**

**Onward with the story!**

Chapter 2: Camp Half-Blood

MPOV

I walked over to where Fang was, leaned up against the trunk of a tree, away from the edge of the Hunters' camp.

I cocked an eyebrow, as if to say, "What are you doing over here?"

He grinned and said, "Thalia said that if Gazzy, Iggy, or I went near the camp, the wolves would eat us and the falcons would peck out our eyes. Or that Artemis would turn us into jackalopes."

I laughed.

Thalia walked up to us. "They're sending someone to come and get you," she reported.

I raised an eyebrow. "Who's sending who?"

She stared at the sky, as if waiting for something. "You'll find out soon enough."

Then, not even a moment later, two large horses with _wings_ appeared in the sky, flying down into the clearing nearby.

"That would be them," Thalia said, walking towards the clearing.

The flock, Fang, and I followed Thalia. When we got to the clearing, we were greeted by two teenagers in orange t-shirts that said, "Camp Half-Blood."

One, a girl with curly blond hair in a ponytail, hugged Thalia and said, "I haven't seen you in ages!"

Thalia hugged the girl back. "It's nice to see you too, Annabeth."

Thalia then nodded to the other, a boy with jet-black hair, sea-green eyes, and tan skin. "Hey, Seaweed Brain."

With a hint of a scowl on his good-looking face, the boy said, "It's nice to see you too, Thalia."

The three looked at us. "These would be the half-bloods you told us about?" the girl, Annabeth, asked.

Thalia nodded. "Yep." She pointed to each of us and said our names.

Annabeth walked over and studied the six of us. She pointed to Fang, "He's _definitely _Nico's brother. I can tell just by looking at him."

The boy looked at Fang. He nodded. "Yeah." Then he smiled, "I'm Percy Jackson."

I smiled back. "I'm Maximum Ride."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your real name?"

I crossed my arms over my chest and gave him a long, level look. "So?"

Percy shook his head. "It's nothing. I was just wondering."

Then Artemis walked over. Annabeth and Percy bowed and said, "My lady."

Artemis smiled and said, "Hello, young half-bloods." Then she looked at Nudge, Angel, and I. "I was hoping to ask you something before you left."

"Sure," Nudge said.

"The Hunters and I are always looking for new members," Artemis said. "And I would hate to see such talent wasted in a mortal life."

Angel raised an eyebrow. "Where are you going with this?"

"How would you like to join the Hunt?" she asked.

I stiffened. I knew enough about Greek myths to know what joining the Hunt meant.

"What does that mean?" Nudge asked.

"It means you would be immortal," she clarified. "That you will not die, unless killed in battle or… you break your oath."

"What oath?" Angel asked.

"To foreswear romantic love forever," Thalia said. "To never grow up or marry. To be a maiden eternally."

I looked out of the corner of my eye. Fang's face was impassive, but I could read him like a book. He was stiff, and pale. His eyes were trained on me.

Artemis looked at me. "I was particularly hoping that you would join, Max."

Wow, did that sound like a trip. To never grow up. To never have to do what anyone told me again. No danger, no evil scientists, no world to save.

I weighed my options heavily. My mind was reeling.

Then I looked at Artemis. "My lady, as honored as I am to have you offer… I can't. I just can't."

She nodded. "But are you sure that this is what you want?"

I looked at Fang out of the corner of my eye again. His posture was more relaxed. He was relieved that I had chosen not to go with the Hunters. "Yes. I am."

She nodded again. "And what of you, Angel and Nudge?"

Angel and Nudge shook their heads furiously. "We don't want to leave the flock."

Artemis sighed and nodded. "All right."

Then, the Hunters were suddenly gone.

I looked to Percy and Annabeth for clarification, but they simply shrugged. "The Hunters have a flair for the dramatic," Annabeth told me.

"I assume you'll be flying?" Percy asked. I nodded.

An hour later, we were at some valley near the ocean. Percy had said that this body of water was Long Island Sound.

We landed in the valley, and for the first time, I noticed that it was filled with old Greek building.

Only, you know… These weren't old, and in ruins, like the ones in Greece. They looked new and glistened brightly in the early-summer sun.

Percy patted his horse's neck. "I keep telling you that they're unhealthy for you, Blackjack," he said to the horse.

I raised an eyebrow and looked at Annabeth. She shrugged and said, "Son of Poseidon."

I nodded, understanding. Poseidon was the creator of horses, so it was only likely that any of his children could speak to them.

"Chiron said he wanted to see you the moment he got here," Annabeth said.

She and Percy led us to a big farmhouse and the front of the valley. On one hill, I saw a tall pine tree, what appeared to be a dragon was curled around the tree, sleeping soundly. Something gold glittered in the pine boughs.

When we reached the farmhouse (Percy said that it was called the 'Big House'), I could see the whole valley.

There were strawberry fields, volleyball courts, stables, forges, and what I assumed were cabins. But they looked more like a mish-mash of various buildings that had nothing in common.

I gripped Fang's hand and whispered to him, "What do they want us for?"

He whispered back, "No clue."

Percy and Annabeth led us to two men who were playing some card game on the porch of the Big House. One of them was in a wheel chair, and the other looked like some guy who had had too much to drink at a party last night.

The man in the wheel chair looked up at us and smiled warmly, "Ah! So these are the young demigods that I've heard so much about!"

We all just looked at him, saying nothing.

The party-guy sighed and said to the man in the wheel chair, "I told you Chiron, they aren't going to say much. Father predicted as much, saying that, and I quote, 'No daughter of mine is going to say anything about her heritage! She simply doesn't know enough!'"

Thunder rumbled, though it was a cloudless day.

The party guy sighed again, like he was bored or something. "Fine, fine! I'll let him do his speech!"

The guy in the wheel chair, whose name was obviously Chiron, shook his head. He looked back to us. "Mr. D has been always been irritable. Especially with his… prohibition."

"Gets worse every year!" Mr. D moaned, sounding like a spoiled two-year-old. "And I'm stuck here with you brats!"

_Look who's talking, _I thought, bemused.

"Mr. D?" I whispered to Annabeth.

"Dionysus, God of wine and parties," she whispered back.

I resisted the urge to laugh. Of course he was.

"What is this place?" Nudge asked.

Chiron smiled. "Well, usually we would have you watch an orientation video, but that tradition has seemed to have been thrown out of the window."

Then, Chiron stood.

But, his body extended way past what a normal man's height would be.

That was when I saw that Chiron wasn't just a man.

Front legs, back legs, fetlocks, tail and all, came out of the magical box that was his wheel chair.

"You're a centaur!" Angel said in awe.

Chiron smiled at her. "And director of activities here at Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-blood?" Fang asked.

"Yes," Chiron said. "Half-blood."

"But half _what _is the question," Iggy said.

Chiron looked at him, and for the first time seemed to notice that he was blind. "Well… the politically correct term is demigod. But the common phrase is half-blood. Half-mortal, half-god."

All of us stared at Chiron. As if him being half-horse wasn't enough…

"Hold up a second," I said. "So what you're saying is… That we're half-_god_?"

"Precisely," he answered. Then he smiled bashfully. "I know this is a little much to take in right now, but you have to believe me. You never would have gotten through our borders if you weren't demigods."

"Do you know who our godly parents are?" Iggy asked.

"Well," Annabeth said. "I can tell just by looking at Fang that he's a son of Hades. Iggy and the Gasman are sons of Hermes, I can tell by the way they look. They have the same features.

"Nudge looks like a… daughter of Aphrodite. And Angel is a daughter Demeter. You, however, Max, are hard. I can't really tell who your godly parent is. You share no features of any demigod I've ever seen."

Chiron thought for a moment. "Well, until we have figured it out, Percy and Annabeth, can you show Fang, Iggy, Nudge, the… Gasman, and Angel to their appropriate cabins?"

Percy and Annabeth nodded, leading the flock down the valley.

Fang squeezed my hand. "You'll be fine. Don't worry."

I nodded, then kissed his cheek.

After the flock was out of earshot, Chiron said, "Not even Annabeth would have known your true heritage, Maximum. There are not many like you."

I suddenly felt nervous. If I had a godly parent, then that means that I had a 50% chance of not being related to Mom and Ella.

Chiron noticed this, and smiled. "Don't worry. There's nothing to fret about." He motioned for me to sit at the card table. "There's much to explain."

**Dun dun dun! I would tell you who her godly parent is, but I don't want to spoil it. (It had to do with what Mr. D said…)**

**The next chapter will be in Fang's POV! Yays! And we meet Nico and the other children of Hades!**

**Soooo… You know the drill! Review!**

**-A$h **


	3. I Meet My HalfBlood HalfBrothers And

**Hello, people of Earth and Mars!**

**It's time for another chapter of: Greek Angels! *audience claps and cheers***

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. I do, however, own Gabby, Eric, and the other children of Hades. And yet I still do not own Cabin Thirteen. Darn.**

Chapter 3: I Meet My Half-Blood Half-Brothers and Sisters

FPOV

I felt nervous for Max. Not knowing who your godly parent was had to be an agonizing thing.

Percy led me, Iggy, and Gazzy to some of the cabins.

He led us to one that was all faded and old-looking. Unlike the other cabins, it looked like a real summer camp cabin. Over the doorway was one of those winged pole things with the intertwined snakes. What do 'ya call 'em…? Oh yeah! A caduceus.

"Welcome to Cabin Eleven," Percy said, opening the door. "You'll feel right at home."

Percy then led me to one of the other cabins. It was made of dark obsidian, had a skull over the doorway, and had torches that burned with green fire.

"Welcome to Cabin Thirteen," Percy said. "I'm sure you'll love it."

I walked in. There were six bunk-beds. Most of the bunks appeared to be taken.

One person was there. He looked like he was maybe twelve or thirteen-years-old.

He stood and nodded. "You new here?"

I nodded back. "Yeah. So what if I am?"

He held out his hand, and I shook it. "The name's Nico. Nico di Angelo. And you are?"

"Fang," I answered.

Nico cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your real name?"

I now knew how Max felt when Percy had asked her the same question. "Yeah. So?"

Nico shook his head. "Never mind. You that mutant with the blog all over the 'net?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Then a girl, who had the same dark hair, olive skin, and dark eyes as Nico (which I might add are the same as what I had) ran into the cabin. "Come on, Nico! We have sword practice right now!" Then she noticed me. "Oh! Hey! You must be new here. I'm Gabby."

"Fang," I said, nodding.

"And yes, that's his real name," Nico added.

"Well, Nico and Fang," Gabby said. "Are you coming?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

I just nodded.

Gabby led us to an arena, where five other kids were using swords to tear apart straw dummies.

She looked at me. "We'll need to find you a blade. Why don't you head down to the forges? I'm sure Jake can give you one."

I walked to the forges, where a kid around seventeen or eighteen was working on some project. I assumed he was Jake.

He saw me and stopped. "You new?"

I nodded.

He grinned. "Hm… I think a size eight will do."

He went to the back of the forge. I heard the clanking of metal and Jake muttering to himself.

He came back holding a sword about four feet long. "What's your name?"

"Fang," I said, taking the blade and swinging it around to test it. It felt slightly off balance and too light in my grip.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Is that your blog that's going around?"

I nodded.

"So do you… you know… really have wings?" he asked, going back to his project.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"What about those others that were with you? Max, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel? Where are they?" he asked.

"They're here," I answered. "They're demigods too."

"Mm," he grunted. "Well, have fun with your sword, Son of Hades."

I left.

When I got back to the sword arena, a boy who had to be about nineteen-years-old was instructing the other sons and daughters of Hades.

He saw me. "You there! Front and center!"

I was never good with taking orders, but I knew this wasn't the time to let that show. I walked over.

He looked me over. "What's your name?"

I was getting sick of that question by now. "Fang."

The other kids murmured to each other, obviously amazed that I was _the _bird-kid with the blog on the 'net.

"My name's Eric," he said. "I'm the leader of Cabin Thirteen."

I nodded my acknowledgement.

"Do you know how to fight?" Eric asked.

I nodded.

"Good," he said.

Then, he swung his sword at me.

Instinctively, I raised my own and blocked his strike.

I don't know how long we battled for, but it felt like hours.

Finally, I knocked his sword out of his hand and aimed mine right for his heart.

Eric laughed and nodded. "You're better than I gave you credit for, Fang."

I grinned and sheathed my sword. "And I you, Eric."

He nodded and said to the others, "Go and put your stuff away. Dinner'll be in about ten minutes."

Gabby went over to me and grinned. "Wow. I can't believe you beat Eric! He's the best in our cabin!"

I shrugged. "I've been fighting my whole life. He wasn't much of a challenge."

Gabby nodded. "But still, that was totally amazing!"

**Sooo… Love it? Hate it? Review! In the next chapter we find out who Max's godly parent is!**

**-A$h**


	4. My Godly Parent And HalfBlood Siblings

**I feel really happy today, so I felt like updating early!**

**Disclaimer: However much I wished I did, I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. I do, however, own Lucas.**

Chapter 4: My Godly Parent and Half-Blood Siblings

MPOV

"Your father wanted you to have this," Chiron said after I sat down, pulling something out of his saddlebag.

He handed me a broadsword that was sheathed in leather.

I pulled it out and examined the blade. It was made of silver, and was so sharp it would've split steel. It shone in the sun so brightly it almost hurt to look at it. It felt right in my hands. Balanced. This was a good sword for combat. There was an inscription on both sides written in Greek.

The scary part was that I could read it.

"'Wind Ryder,'" I read, grinning.

Chiron smiled. "Yes. Your father is your godly parent. He is very powerful, you know."

I let out a breath that I hadn't known I was holding. That meant that I was still related to Mom and Ella.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Zeus," he answered. "Lord of the Sky and Lightning, and King of Heaven. Your mother is Dr. Valencia Martinez, as you already know."

I was in awe and, for once, speechless.

Chiron looked down at that valley and chuckled. "I believe that there is someone who would very much like to see you."

I looked to where he was looking and grinned.

I stood and ran to her. "I can't believe you're here!" I said when I hugged her.

She hugged me back. "I know!" Ella said. "I always knew you were a demigod, but Chiron wouldn't let me say anything."

We broke apart and smiled madly at each other. "Who's you godly parent?" I asked.

"The same as yours! I only found out last week!" Ella answered. She looked at Chiron. "Can I show her around?"

He nodded. "Of course you can. Dinner will be in twenty minutes."

She nodded and led me down the hill.

"So what do you think of our camp?" she asked excitedly.

I grinned. "It's totally awesome."

She led me to the cabins, straight for Cabin One. It looked like it was made of platinum, and holographic lightning bolts were inscripted all along it.

She led me inside. "You can take whatever bunk. Just as long as you don't take mine or Lucas's. He hates it when people touch his stuff.

I put my pack and Wind Ryder on an unused bunk. The sheets were pure white, but if you looked at it just right, they had a little blue in them. "Lucas? Our half-brother?"

She nodded. "There's one other. I'm sure you met her. Her name's Thalia. She's one of the Hunters of Artemis."

I nodded. "Yeah. I met her."

She grinned. "All right! It's time we got to the rock wall!"

She led me to a place near the lake, where there were these two huge walls that were spewing lava and boulders all over the place.

I looked at the wall, then at Ella. "_That's _the rock wall?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yep!"

I saw a boy scaling down. He had dirty-blonde hair, fair skin, and was slightly muscular.

When he got down, he looked over at us and gave us an award-winning and dazzling smile.

He walked over to us and said, "Hey, El." Then he looked at me. "You new?"

I nodded. "Yeah. My name's Maximum Ride."

He smiled. "I'm Lucas Verde. Ella must've told me all about you." I noticed he had electric blue eyes. He had to be about seventeen or eighteen.

I laughed. "Yeah."

Lucas motioned to the rock wall. "You want to have a go?"

I shrugged. "Sure."

I walked over and started to scale the wall. It shook horribly, like a 9 on the Richter scale. But I held fast, and continued to climb.

The lava and rocks came close to hitting me once or twice, but I had fast reflexes, and dodged them as I would dodge a punch or kick from an Eraser.

Finally, I made it to the top. I could see, just beyond the strawberry fields, Fang walking out of the forges holding a new sword. I smiled inwardly.

Then, I jumped down, landing lightly on my feet.

Lucas grinned. "You weren't kidding, El! She is amazing!"

I blushed, feeling self-conscious and embarrassed.

"Why don't we go and clean up for dinner?" Ella suggested. "It's in ten minutes."

Ella and I walked side-by-side, talking about what we thought was totally awesome about camp.

"They keep monsters in the forest," she told me while we were cleaning up.

"Why?" I asked, pulling on a fresh deep electric-blue t-shirt that said, "I want to be an American Idiot" but with the "American Idiot" part crossed out and written in scrawled letters, "Avian American."

"For hunting," she answered casually. "But also as a challenge, to keep us on our toes. Usually they're used for practical jokes by the Hermes cabin."

Ella let that sink in for a moment. Then we both groaned. That was the last trick that Iggy and Gazzy would ever play if it was on us.

Then, a conch horn blew.

"That's the dinner bell," she told me. I nodded.

We lined up by order of seniority, so Lucas went first. I was last.

He led us to a dining hall with no roof, and pillars surrounding it. There were a lot of tables, and there was a fire pit in the middle.

We sat down at a table near the front. I looked around. Percy was sitting at a table with a few other kids. They all had the same black hair, green eyes, and tan skin as him. Annabeth was sitting with a bunch of other blonde kids with that "California" look and grey eyes.

I saw Iggy and Gazzy with a group of kids who all had the same elfish faces and upturned eyebrows. They made me want to keep one had on any valuable possessions I had.

I saw Nudge with a group of good-looking kids dressed in some expensive designer clothes. Angel was with a bunch of kids who looked very calm, and laid back. Naturey, I guess you could call it.

Then I saw Fang. He was sitting with a group of kids who all had the same olive skin, dark hair, and dark eyes as him.

"Whose Annabeth's godly parent?" I asked Lucas.

He looked at me and muttered something to his goblet. It instantly filled with some dark liquid. "Her mom's Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy."

I nodded. "Oh."

Ella looked at me and said, "Tell your goblet what you want."

I stared at it, thinking of what I wanted. Then I said, "Coke."

It filled with it instantly. I took a sip just to test it. It tasted perfectly fine.

Then, I saw Chiron, at the head table; he raised his goblet and said, "To the gods!"

We all repeated the toast.

Then, some girls appeared and placed platters of food at the tables.

"Dryads," Ella whispered. "Tree spirits." I nodded.

I put a bunch of food on my plate. God –Er, God_s_ I should say—I was starving! I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast this morning.

Lucas and Ella stood, taking their plates with them. "We have to burn some of our food," Lucas explained, reading my quizzical expression.

I nodded, and stood with them. I saw as Ella scraped some of her barbeque into the fire and mutter, "For Zeus."

Then it was my turn. I didn't see why the gods would like the smell of burning food. But, then again, I wasn't a god, so who was I to judge.

I scraped some of my own barbeque into the flames and whispered, "For the gods."

Then, I was hit with a small blast of air. It smelled like Mom's hot chocolate-chip cookies, fresh mountain air, and the beach. Wow. Now I guess I knew why the gods liked this stuff.

I sat back down with Lucas and Ella. We talked and laughed for what felt like the longest time.

**In the next chapter: They capture a few flags! Yay! It's that time everybody! It's time to play every demigod's favorite game: Capture the Flag!**

**Love it? Hate it? Review!**

**-A$h**


	5. I Capture A Few Flags

**Hello, peoples! I'm ba-ack!**

**Anywhoo… Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. I do, however, own the random characters I choose to randomly mention in this fic!**

Chapter 5: I Capture A Few Flags

MPOV

Then Chiron stamped his hoof against the floor. "Heroes!"

The talking ceased and all eyes were drawn the him.

"Tonight is Capture the Flag!" he announced. "Currently leading is the Apollo cabin! They will be going against the Zeus cabin!"

I looked to Ella and Lucas for explanation, but they motioned for me to wait.

"The rules are simple!" he said. "No killing or maiming allowed. But magic items are. I will serve as referee and field medic. And _no _Travis and Connor, you may _not _use Annabeth's mirror shield." I heard some boys at the Hermes table groan. "The creek is the boundary line. The flag must be in plain sight. Now pick your teams and prepare for battle!"

Then, plates ad goblets were suddenly replaced with swords, shields, spears, and armor.

I stood and grabbed some armor before it was all gone. "Who are we teamed up with?" I asked.

"We've made a temporary alliance with the Athena cabin," Ella said. "Also the Ares and Hephaestus kids. And Nemesis and Hecate cabins are with us, along with Hermes. The rest are with Apollo. The Aphrodite kids usually sit out, but I predict that this time around they're going to team up with Apollo."

I nodded. "Oh." Inwardly I was grinning. As long as I had some of the flock on my team, I would be fine.

Suddenly, I noticed that Wind Ryder was belted at my side. "How…?" I muttered.

Lucas looked at me. "The blade is magical. Whenever you need it, it will appear."

I nodded, and tried not to look too shocked about this new topic.

"Who's leading?" one of the girls from the Ares cabin asked. She was big, and wore camo. She had stringy brown hair, blazing eyes, and looked slightly intimidating.

"Me, you, Annabeth, Jake, Connor, Travis, aaaannnd…" Lucas said, he looked around, as if looking for a worthy candidate.

"Max," Ella said. "She's a really great leader."

Lucas shrugged. "All right. Sure. Why don't we give it a shot?"

Lucas picked up a flag. It was electric blue and had a neon-yellow lightning bolt in the middle.

"Let's roll out," he said, sounding jaunty.

We walked, our army and swords clanking against each other, to the forest.

"Home base is on Zeus's Fist," Lucas said to our army when we reached our side of the creek and were out of earshot of the other team. "We need a plan. Ideas?"

Those of us who would be leading our team gathered in a circle.

"I say we pick off the snipers," the large girl, Clarisse Lucas said her name was, whispered. "They're bound to have some."

"No," Annabeth said. "That's a horrible idea. What we need is to charge from both sides, and box them in."

I thought about this for a moment. "Yeah. But, we have to think stealth," I said, surprising even myself. "I say that we use your idea Annabeth, but I have a few modifications. I say that we have a small group of good fighters run straight down the middle. We'll use them as decoys. Distractions. Also have another group of good fighters hold the border. Then, we have two slightly larger groups run the sides. Whoever gets there first gets the flag. But they meet up and run together, for extra protection. Then run back down the side with the group as cover."

They all stared at me.

"That's brilliant!" the kid from Hephaestus, Jake Mason, said. "And for defense?"

"We set up traps. Bombs. Sabotage. Snares. Greek fire. Anything you've got. Set it up around the perimeter of Zeus's Fist. Make it look like nothing would be there. That it's totally unguarded."

He nodded. "Connor and Travis? Do you think that you can help us with that?"

Connor and Travis Stoll both nodded. "Sure thing, boss!" Travis said, saluting.

"Good luck to you all," Lucas said. "Let's split up into those teams.

I ended up being one of the people running to get the flag from the right side. Lucas, Clarisse, and a bunch of Ares kids were the decoys.

As we got into position, a conch horn rang out. "Let the games begin," I muttered. Then, my group and I ran, quick and silent through the trees.

I heard the clear sounds of swords clashing through the trees. Still, my group ran.

We reached their flag, a gold one with no designs, quickly.

Too quickly.

I held up my hand, and my group stopped.

Using my raptor vision, I scanned around. I drew Wind Ryder softly. I could sense that there was someone here, but I couldn't see them.

I picked up a rock and rolled it towards the flag. Sure enough, they had set up traps. Nets of all sorts flew into the air, enclosing around the enemies that they had failed to capture.

I walked cautiously towards the flag. It still felt wrong. Where was the other group? They should have met up with us by now.

Then, I had my question answered.

Like a shadow, he appeared. "Not so fast, Maximum."

Mine and Fang's swords clashed together loudly.

The other group appeared, staring in shock at what was unfolding.

"Grab it and go!" I shouted to the others. They nodded, and a girl from the Hecate cabin named Rhina grabbed the flag. The groups ran off into the woods the way I had come.

"What?" I asked sarcastically. "Are you a ninja now?"

He scowled at my comment. Our blades were still locked together. I stared deep into his dark eyes; my own showing nothing but determination and competitiveness. He knew that I wouldn't lose even if I tried.

He pulled his sword away.

Fang's blade came down to strike me, but I parried him. I thrust and parried and blocked his strikes for what felt like ages.

Then, I elbowed him in the ribs and ran.

I ran to the left, dodging and weaving trees and branches as they came.

I reached the creek before the other group.

Suddenly, I saw a flash of gold as the flag came over the boundary. We had won!

Just then, Fang caught up to me. But he knew it was useless, as we had already won. I saw the golden flag of Apollo transform, changing into the pure-white flag of Hecate with a wand shooting red sparks.

Lucas came over and clapped me on the back. "Your plan worked! We should definitely have you be the official lead next time!"

Then he saw Fang, and his face stiffened. "You new as well?"

Fang nodded. "Yeah."

I glanced between the two. "Lucas," I said. "This is my boyfriend, Fang. Fang, meet my half-brother, Lucas Verde."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Fang, Son of Hades," Lucas said.

Fang just nodded.

Lucas grinned mischievously. "Break her heart, I break your face."

I rolled my eyes. Fang chuckled.

Chiron trotted over. "Well done, everyone! That was the quickest game I think we've ever played!" He patted my shoulder. "A special congratulations to you, Maximum, winning your first game on your first day!"

My team cheered. I got a lot of jealous looks from the Apollo team. I blushed, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't think it _all _through. Most of the credit goes to Annabeth."

"Well then," Chiron said. "Congratulations to you _both _then."

Our team cheered.

"Now it's off to bed, all of you," he said. "We have another full day tomorrow."

We all headed off into the directions of our cabins. Fang walked with me, holding my hand.

"You did very well," he commented. "I had no idea that you could use a sword."

I grinned. "I think it has something to do with being a half-blood. Sort of like how I can read in Greek, and I've never seen it in my whole life."

He nodded. Angel came running over to us. "Wow, Max!" she said, her blue eyes wide in awe. "That was so amazing! Chiron said that I couldn't play, because I'm so young. But he said that maybe he'll let me next summer! We're coming back, right?"

I smiled and ruffled her blonde curls. "We'll have to see if the others like it here. And if they do, then we'll stay."

Nudge joined us. "Are we gonna stay year-round? Some of my friends say that we can. I hope we can! This place is sooo awesome! I mean, where else in the world can you find flying horses? Or dryads who know how to do amazing French braids? This place is just soooo cool! We can stay, right? I—_Mphhh!_"

I shot Gazzy a thankful glance as he covered Nudge's mouth with his hand.

"Sooo," Iggy said. "Are we gonna stay or what?"

I grinned. "It's up to you guys. I personally like it here. And, you know, seeing my sister and half-brother."

"I want to stay," Angel said firmly. "This place is the one place on the face of the earth that we can fit it."

"I'm staying," said Gazzy.

"I second that emotion," Iggy said. "Plus, I promised to show Travis and Connor how to rig a stink bomb in the Ares cabin tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes. "Clarisse will never forgive you for that," I muttered.

"I'm _so _totally staying," Nudge said. "I like hanging out with my half-sisters. It's nice to talk to someone about fashion and stuff."

I looked to Fang. "I'm staying if you are," he said quietly, his hand warm on mine.

I smiled. "I know that I'm staying."

The others cheered, but Fang just gave me one of his half-smiles.

The others left, but Fang walked me to my cabin. I could sense Ella looking at us through the curtains. Like Angel, Nudge, and hundreds of other fangirls on Fang's blog, she was all into the "Fax" thing. (And yes, I do know what that is. I'm not totally clueless people!)

"Goodnight," I said.

Before he said anything, Fang pulled me to him and kissed me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist.

I wrapped one arm around his neck and put one hand on his cheek. I wished that this would just go on and on forever.

When we broke apart, he whispered, "Goodnight, Miss Ride." I rolled my eyes, but still blushed at the intensity of his gaze.

He walked away, disappearing into the dark like a shadow.

The moment I walked into the cabin, Ella was all over me. "OMG! You guys are, like, _soooo _cute together! I just knew from the moment I first saw you together that you were gonna end up, like, _together_ together!"

I sighed and started to take off my armor. I took off the belt that held Wind Ryder. I placed it at the end of my bed, against the post that served as the ladder to get to the top bunk.

"Hey, Max," Lucas said from his bunk, which was across from mine and on the top. "Next time, please save the making-out with Fang for when I'm not around. I swear, the next time I see you kissing him I'm going to hurt him."

I rolled my eyes at his protective-brother attitude. "All right, Lucas. You just keep telling yourself that."

I went to the bathroom and put on a pair of navy sweat pants and a white tank-top. I pulled my hair back in a messy bun. I sat at the edge of my bunk and thought. Total came trotting over, his black fur shining in the light.

"What're you doing here, buddy?" I asked as he jumped onto my lap. "I thought you would be with Angel in the Demeter cabin."

He wagged his tail as I scratched him behind his ears. "Cabin was full. This was the only free one. I didn't want to stay in Cabin Two or Eight. It's too empty and cold in there."

I nodded, totally getting what he was saying.

"When's light's out?" I asked Lucas.

He shrugged, and went back to sharpening his sword, a Celestial bronze double-edged blade that he called, "Thunder."

"Whenever I say so," he said.

Ella came back from the bathroom wearing pink shorts and a neon blue tank-top that said, "Back off. I'm famous."

"So how are you and Fang faring?" she asked, brushing her hair, which was a darker version of mine.

I blushed. I never really liked to talk about this. But I knew that Ella was going to get me to talk, even if she had to beat it out of me.

I shrugged. "Same as when you last saw us."

Her brown eyes brightened. "Ah. So happy to be together and madly in love."

I blushed. "I guess."

"All right," Lucas said, sheathing his sword and hanging it from the tall bedpost. "Light's out!"

Ella groaned, but obeyed. I laughed and crawled underneath the sheets. Total curled up against my feet, not having too much trouble keeping warm.

The lights turned off, and I was asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.

**Soooo… Whatcha think? Review! Flames will be reported or deleted. Then, if you do choose to send a flame, Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla (who I just got back from a friend) will come and attack you in your sleep, Freddie Kruger style!**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h and Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla**


	6. Dreams and Advice

**Hello, my homey-g's! I'm soooo sorry for the delayed update! My computer is a bitch, and wouldn't let me update. Grrr…**

**Thanks to all of you who reviewed! It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. I do, however, own the mysterious persons mentioned in this chapter.**

Chapter 6: Dreams and Advice

MPOV

My peaceful slumber wasn't to last, though.

I dreamed I was in a cave. Though, it wasn't like any sort of cave I've ever been in. This one was deep, dark, and damp. I could hear water dripping to the floor somewhere in the back. A dark chill crept up through my bare feet—I was still in my pajamas.

"Come closer," a deep, hallow, raspy, and whispery voice said from near the back of the cave.

"Master," said one voice. I knew it was male from the deep sound of it. "The six have arrived, as you foresaw."  
"Good, good," said the first voice. "And the seventh?"

"He's still dawdling, my lord," said the second voice.

"This will be a setback in our plan," said the first. "Make sure that he reaches the camp before the Summer Solstice. I don't want to risk anymore monsters on his behalf."

"It will be done my lord," said the second.

"I sense… another presence," said the first. "Invite him in… so I can give him a proper greeting.

A man, with dark brown hair and intense greenish-grey eyes walked into my line of vision. He grinned evilly.

There was a brilliant flash of multi-colored light, and a boy fell to the floor.

The worst part: I knew who he was.

It was Sam, the boy who I had kissed in Virginia.

I sat up, suddenly wide awake. I could feel the chills going up and down my spine, the feeling that I always got after a nightmare. I was covered in a cold sweat. My heart was racing, and I was panting. Total opened his eyes sleepily. "Max…" he muttered blearily. "Wha's up?"

I took a deep breath and murmured so low that no one but he could hear, "It's nothing. Go back to sleep."

He put his head back on his paws and was asleep and snoring in seconds.

I ran a hand through my hair, which had come out of its bun.

I swung my legs over the side of my bed and stood, heading out the door. I knew that we had a curfew, but I just had to get outside, into the fresh air.

I walked through the valley, making sure to skirt around the flock's various cabins. They were sure to hear me if I walked by.

I walked to the beach and sat down near the water's edge, but out of the way of the waves.

I lay on my back and looked up at the night sky, littered with more stars than I'd seen in a while. It brought me back to the night that Fang and I had shared in the desert, when I had first stopped running away.

"A beautiful night for stargazing," said a voice several feet from me.

I sat up instantly, my hands curling into lethal fists. But I saw that it was just a man in a business suit. He had a black beard that was streaked with grey. So was his dark hair. He had the same blue eyes as Lucas and Thalia.

He chuckled. "I remember when I was your age. I used to look at the sky with hatred. But that was many, many years ago."

"Father?" I asked.

He smiled. "Yes, Max. I am your father."

I just stared at him for a moment, trying to see if I shared any features with this man. We had the same leaderly, intimidating look to our eyes. The same stature, like we were trying to intimidate and scare our opponents.

"I was blonde as a young boy, like you are," Zeus said, like he could hear my thoughts. "And I was quite stubborn. In fact, I still am!" He laughed. It was like the deep roll of thunder just before the storm.

I grinned. "We have the same smile," I pointed out.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked.

"Sure," I said, feeling nervous.

He sat in the sand next to me. "Max, I don't want you to think the wrong things. I love you, your sister, and your mother very much."

I stared at him. "I know. But… It's just… You're a god. I know that you've probably said that to a lot of women in the last few thousand years."

Zeus searched my eyes. I had a feeling that he wouldn't find the answer he was looking for there. Only Fang would be able to. "No."

I blushed and looked down. I felt really bad. "Oh. I'm sorry. I just thought—"

"That because I'm a god I would say that to every woman I woo," he finished. "No. I love Hera very much, but your mother…" He paused, as if trying to figure out how to word this. "I offered to grant her immortality. But she refused, saying that to live forever would be a curse. She did not want to watch those she loved grow old and die." He patted my shoulder. "You remind me of her very much. Both you _and _Ella. But the day you were taken from the hospital… That was the hardest thing I ever had to endure in my life. I sent all of my best trackers to find you—Artemis, Apollo, Hermes, Athena, Ares—but they never found you. And when you appeared again, ten years later…

"That was the moment I felt that something had finally gone right. You were so strong, so brave, I thought that maybe your were a fully-fledged goddess after all. You've done so well this last year. I just want you to know that I am very, very proud of you. And I say this as a father, Max."

For once, I was speechless. I meet my father for the first time in my life, and then he just tells me how proud of me he is, and that he loves me. I was mortified when I felt tears prick at my eyes.

Before I could think twice, I hugged him.

At first he was startled. But then, he hugged me back.

_This is what a real dad would do, _I thought. _Wait… He _is _my dad._

I let go and smiled. "Thank you, Father," I said.

Zeus smiled. "I hope that you like your sword."  
I grinned. "I love it! I even beat Fang with it!"

Apparently, he knew who Fang was, because he smiled. "That's my girl!" He pushed me playfully, and I pushed him back.

He and I were both laughing. "I hope he treats you well," he said once our laughter had subsided.

I nodded. "He's Fang. Of course he treats me well. He's my best friend."

Zeus smiled and leaned close, "Do you want me to tell you a secret?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He grinned as he said, "I had the Fates look into your future. You and Fang will someday be more than that."

I gaped and blushed furiously.

He laughed and hugged me. "But no need to worry about that right now."

I smiled. This man was an amazing father. He did more for me in ten minutes than Jeb did for me in ten years!

Zeus sighed and looked at the stars. "I suppose I must be getting back. There is much to prepare for."

I smiled as he stood. "Oh… Okay."

He gave me one last smile. "Don't worry. I'll always be with you." Then, he disappeared in a flash of lightning.

I sighed, and pulled my knees to my chest. I thought about what Zeus had said, about Fang and me one day being more than what we were now.

I stood and started walking back to my cabin.

But, just then, I heard shouts from Half-Blood Hill.

Something was incredibly wrong.

_Already._

**Dun, dun, dun! What is going on? Find out in the next chapter!**

**You all know the drill! Review! Flames will be reported or deleted.**

**If you do not choose to review, Fidget will come and spork out your eyes in your sleep.**

**-A$h and Fidget the Zombie Chinchilla**


	7. The Strange Newcomer From My Dreams

**Hey-o.**

**To Queen NekoChan: I don't have any problem with you sharing your opinion. But here's a bit of advice: If you don't like this story, then why are you reading it? I get plenty of nice reviews, and then you go and kill my buzz. There are plenty of other OOC fanfics that have done just as well. An example would be Diary of a Lovesick Mutant. So, if you hate something, why continue with it?**

**Okay, I'm done with my rant. Thank you to all of you who KINDLY reviewed. Your reviews make me feel happiness.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of this. Not even the new character who I shall be introducing. :'(**

Chapter 7: The Strange Newcomer From My Dreams

MPOV

I started running towards the hill, Wind Ryder appearing instantly at my side.

The moment I got to the hill, I saw a boy. He had to be about fifteen or sixteen. He had golden-blonde hair and well-tanned skin. His clothes were ripped and torn badly, and he was bleeding.

He saw me and whispered, "Please… Help…"

I shot over to him and put one of his arms over my shoulders. I started making my way to the Big House. Chiron would know what to do.

"Help!" I shouted as I got close to the Big House. I prayed to the gods that Chiron would hear me.

Percy was at my side. He was holding is own sword, which he called, "Riptide." When he saw that there were no monsters, just an injured boy, he capped his sword, and it transformed into a ballpoint pen. He stuck it into his pocket and took the boy's other side.

Many of the campers were there by that point. They watched in shock as Percy and I carried the boy to the front porch of the Big House. Chiron was already there. He ushered us into one of the rooms, where Percy and I laid the boy on the bed.

"Thank you," Chiron said. "You may go. I need to speak with him alone."

I nodded and started to walk out of the room when the boy said in a weak, hoarse voice, "Wait…"

I turned. He was sitting up, his eyes open and alert. I saw that they were a clear blue. But, they were unlike any blue I'd ever seen. They were the color of the Caribbean Sea, a clear turquoise that took my breath away.

I blushed despite myself. What was I _thinking_? I had a boyfriend!

"Don't speak," Chiron said. "You are badly wounded. Try to relax."

But the boy didn't listen. In fact, he went totally nuts. His eyes grew distant, and glazed over. He bared his teeth like a wild animal, and went straight for my throat.

Adrenaline poured into my veins. I blocked him instinctively, my eyes wild with fear. What the H-E-double hockey sticks was going on with this guy?

But the boy tackled me. This guy was strong! Stronger than me! Was he genetically enhanced or something? His hands went for my throat. I couldn't breathe. My vision began to tunnel horribly. My thoughts couldn't connect.

Then, the pressure around my neck released. I rolled onto my side and started coughing violently.

"Are you okay?" Fang's voice whispered in my ear.

I continued to cough as I nodded. I felt the blood rush back into my brain. What the he-eck was wrong with this guy?

Fang helped me up. I saw that Percy and Jake Mason were restraining the kid. His eyes were still wild. I could see his bloodlust. He actually wanted to kill me.

Ella ran over and hugged me. "Oh, my gods!" she said. "Thank the gods you're okay!"

I hugged her back. "Ella, it's totally fine. I usually go through this on a daily basis."

That didn't improve her rising hysteria. "But still! You could've died!"

I sighed and said in a placating tone, "Well, I'm fine now."

The boy finally calmed down, and went limp. Percy and Jake laid him on the bed.

"Are you all right?" Chiron asked.

I nodded. My neck and throat felt sore. I was certain I would have bruises tomorrow. "Yeah."

He nodded. "Percy, can you tell everyone to go back to their cabins? I feel that tonight has had enough events to last us a while."

Percy nodded, and everyone left the room.

"What do you think was wrong with that guy?" Ella asked as we walked back to Cabin One.

I shrugged. "I don't know. He could be delusional. I face people like him on a daily basis, Ella. So it's nothing to worry about."

She frowned, but didn't press me any more.

When we were back inside the cabin, none of us could sleep.

I decided that I should say something. "I saw Dad tonight," I told them.

"Whaaat?" Lucas said. Ella's eyes widened.

I nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't sleep, so I went to the beach. He was there."

"Did you talk to him?" Lucas asked.

I nodded. I figured this sort of thing was rare among half-bloods.

"What did he say?" Ella asked, her face excited and anticipating my every word.

I glanced at Lucas. I didn't want to say anything in front of him, and make him feel bad. And I didn't want to tell Ella, because then she would wonder why Dad talked to me, and not her.

I shrugged. "He just talked to me about Fang, and asked if he was treating me okay."

"What did you say?" Ella asked. Her tone was slightly disappointed, but still hopeful.

"I told him that, you know, he's Fang, and that of course he treats me well," I said. I didn't have to lie about this, which made me feel better.

"And what did he say?" Lucas asked.

I blushed. Should I tell them what he said? I decided I would bug Lucas, and tell them. "He said that that was good. Also that he had the Fates look into our future. He said that one day we'll be more than what we were now."

Ella said, "Awwww!"

Lucas, however, freaked out. "Oh! Oh! I _so_ did not need to know that! Now I really _will_ hurt him the next time I see him! Oh, wow!"

Ella and I started laughing. Total, who had remained in the cabin, chuckled and said, "You crazy kids."

"What time is it?" I asked.

Ella checked her watch. "Only four in the morning."

I groaned and dropped my head into my hands.

"Let's get some sleep," Lucas said. "It's bound to be an eventful day tomorrow."

We nodded in agreement, and fell asleep the moment our heads hit our pillows.

This time, I didn't have any nightmares.

**Dun, dun, dun! Bet you didn't see THAT one coming, did ya? **

**Review please! I'll try to update as fast as I can!**

**-A$h**


	8. Learning

**Hey everybody! It feels so good to be back! Thank you all for your kind reviews! And a special thanks to one reviewer (you know who you are) who said I should write a story about what's goin' on. The truth is, I'm actually writing a series of books that I hope to one day publish for real. I want to insert a huge thank you here for turtlelover0511 for being an awesome reviewer and friend and an amazing writer! Check out her stories people!**

**In other news, I FINALLY got The Lost Hero for Christmas! I have, like, 100 pages left! I must say, it's got to be the darkest Percy Jackson-related book I've ever read! Leo's my favorite character.**

**This chapter's kinda long, 'cause that's just how I wrote it. I think you guys deserve a big chapter for all the time I've been gone. Just to warn you, though, I won't update on a daily basis, 'cause school's starting back up next week.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or Maximum Ride. They belong to their respective authors. Nor do I own the plot (or at least, some of it). It's all Jimmy P. and Rick Riordan. (Both of whom are the best authors EVER.)**

Chapter 8: Learning

MPOV

The next morning, I was awoken by Ella.

"Max!" she said shaking my shoulder. "Wake up!"

I groaned and pulled the covers above my head. "No. Too early."

"Hm…" Ella said, obviously thinking about how she could possibly get me awake. I heard her snap her fingers.

Suddenly, I felt something slither near my feet.

I sat bolt upright and gasped, holding in a shriek of fear. "Snake!" I squeaked.

Ella and Lucas cackled, and I saw her holding a rubber snake.

I gave them one of my deluxe death glares that I usually reserve for Gazzy and Iggy when they play some sort of prank on me. "_Not_ funny, you guys."

"You know it was," Lucas said, doubled-over with laughter. "Oh, gods! I _so_ owe Travis and Connor for keeping fake snakes!"

I swung my legs over the side of my bed, promising myself that I would kill Lucas and Ella later, and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "What do you have to do to get some food in this joint?"

Ella checked her watch. "Breakfast should be in about ten minutes."

I stood and grabbed a relatively clean pair of holey skinny jeans and a black t-shirt that said, "I reject your reality and substitute my own" written on it in yellow from my backpack. I went to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and changed.

Just as the conch horn sounded, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

"Cabin One!" Lucas said loudly from the door. "Fall in!"

I rolled my eyes. It was only the three of us in here.

We walked to the dining pavilion like we had done last night at dinner. Only this time the tables were already set.

I laughed to myself as I sat at our table. "Ah, the breakfast of champions."

Ella and Lucas laughed.

"Yeah," Ella said jokingly. "Froot Loops and bacon."

We laughed more.

A movement caught my eyes. It was Fang. The look on his face said, "Are you okay?"

I used sign language to say, "What do you mean?"

He signed back, "The attack."

I thought for a moment. "It's all good," I signed back. "Nothing major."

He nodded, and went back to eating.

"Hello!" Ella said, snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Earth to Max! Come in Max!"

I blinked and said, "I'm awake."

She smirked. "Well, if you would mind taking your eyes off of your boyfriend for five minutes, I need talk to you."

I nodded, trying not to be too annoyed by the jab, and continued to eat my cereal.

"So what happened last night?" she asked. "With the kid who tried to kill you?"

I shrugged. "No clue. He could be one of Itex or Chu's experiments sent to kill me. I get that a lot, so…" I let my voice trail off.

Ella thought about this while she picked at her scrambled eggs. "Well… That could be it… But if you're a mortal, you have to get permission from Chiron to cross the border. That boy never would have if he were just any mortal." She looked at Lucas. "Like Rachel, right?"

Lucas nodded, not bothering to put in a comment through his mouthful of bacon and toast.

"Wait," I said. "Who… Who's Rachel?"

Lucas swallowed and sighed. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare is the only mortal allowed in Camp Half-Blood. She's the daughter of a big corporate executive, who cuts down trees for a living. I believe the CSM is suing him, right El?" Ella nodded, looking grim. "But that's not the point. She became the Oracle last summer, right after Percy took down Kronos and saved Olympus."

My eyebrows knitted together. I was morbidly confused. "Wait… _What?_"

Ella sighed. "I forgot how uneducated you and the flock were," she muttered. "You know how the gods move from place-to-place, right?"

I nodded. "I've narrowed it down that much. Chiron told me it had something to do with the Flame of the West and Western Civilization, or something like that."

Lucas nodded. "Yep. Well, if the gods move, then everything that has to do with them has to move as well, right?"

I thought. "I guess."

"_Then_," Ella continued, "that would mean that the Underworld is here too. The entrance is in LA. But, the monsters come with them. Like how Medusa lives in a garden gnome emporium on the outskirts of New Jersey. Though, Percy killed her a few years back. She hasn't reformed yet, so she's not going to give you any trouble."

"What has all this got to do with Rachel Dare?" I asked.

Lucas and Ella exchanged looks.

"Have you ever heard of the Temple of Zeus at Delphi?" Lucas asked.

I stared at them, raising my eyebrows. "I might've, I'm not sure."

Ella facepalmed. Lucas sighed and said, "The Temple of Zeus at Delphi is one of the most important shrines to our father that has ever existed. The cornerstone was the very same stone that Rhea gave to Kronos in replacement of baby Zeus. When Zeus tricked him into drinking the mixture to free our aunts and uncles, the original gods, he also up-chucked the stone. That became the cornerstone of the Temple. But that's not what it's most famous for. It was most well-known that the highest priestess in all of ancient Greece lived there."

"And who was that?" I asked.

"The Oracle of Delphi," Ella answered. "The Oracle is the teller of the future. The spirit is passed down from maiden to maiden, for thousands of years. The last Oracle was a girl from the thirties or something. But Hades put a curse on her, forbidding the Oracle from taking another body until the children of Hades were fully recognized."

I glanced over at Fang's table involuntarily.

"The old Oracle died in the 70's, and she was mummified. They kept her in the attic at the Big House," Lucas continued. "Twenty years later, back in the 90's, a woman by the name of May Castellan tried to become the Oracle. She was the mother of Luke Castellan, the son of Hermes who would later change sides and try to help Kronos, father of the gods, rise to power once more."

I nodded. I knew enough about Greek myths from that school in Virginia to know who Kronos was… is. Whatever.

"But," Ella said, "the children of Hades still hadn't been recognized. The Oracle tried to take hold of May, but it failed. For the rest of her life, she saw visions of Luke's fate, and how he would die…" She glanced around nervously and said to Lucas, "Did you ever hear what would happen? Ever wonder what it would be like…?"

Lucas sighed and set down his goblet of orange juice heavily. "I've heard rumors, but I'm not sure what to believe. I… I try not to think about it. It just seems too awful to be true."

I shuddered at the thought of what had happened to poor May Castellan, and what she had had to endure.

"She went crazy," Ella continued. "That was part of the reason that Luke ran away. Then, he met up with Thalia Grace. Annabeth later joined them. She was seven years old at the time. Grover Underwood, a satyr, helped them get to camp. Lot's of other stuff happened, but that's beside the point. May died in December of a seizure.

"Then, last summer, after Kronos was defeated, Rachel got invited to camp. The children of Hades were finally recognized as heroes. The Oracle became Rachel Elizabeth Dare."

I thought about all of this for a moment. "Wow," was all I could say. I was utterly stunned.

Ella and Lucas nodded grimly. "Yeah," Ella said. "Also, I heard that she recited the next Great Prophecy."

I cocked an eyebrow.

Lucas said, "The last Great Prophecy was about Percy, and how he would save Olympus. It went: _A child of the eldest gods/ Shall reach sixteen against all odds/ And see the world in endless sleep/ The hero's soul cursed blade shall reap/ A single choice shall end his days/ Olympus to preserve or raze._"

"Then the hero in the prophecy who died…" I thought. "Must've been Luke."

They nodded. "He died a hero's death," Lucas said. "I wasn't at the battle, though. I didn't find out I was a half-blood until January. I only go by what Percy and Annabeth said. They were the only ones, besides that satyr Grover, to witness Luke's death."

I looked at my hands, which were neatly folded in my lap. "Wow." I looked at them. "So what's the next Great Prophecy?"

They looked between each other.

"Max," Ella said carefully. "No one knows. Only Percy, Annabeth, Chiron, Rachel, and Apollo know, as they were the only ones present. But they keep it a secret, and Rachel never remembers when she gives out a prophecy."

I thought about this. I was curious to know about the prophecy, and who it was about. I wondered who would die, and who would live.

Suddenly, a voice shook me out of my reverie. "Excuse me?"

I blinked and looked up. It was the boy who had gone psycho and tried to kill me last night.

I automatically tensed. I could feel the adrenaline dumping into my veins like ice water.

He rubbed the back of his neck like he was embarrassed. "Look… I'm real sorry about last night. I don't know what happened. I don't remember any of it." He held out his hand. "I'm Dylan."

I looked scornfully at his hand, then back up at him. "I'm Max. And I don't believe that you're in the least bit sorry about what you did."

A frown crept up his lips, creases formed on his forehead, and his eyebrows knit together, giving his good-looking face a mask of angered confusion. "Look, I said I don't remember any of it! Maybe you should cut me some—"

"I think you've said enough," a dark, cold voice said from behind Dylan.

I peered around and saw Fang. I could practically see the anger rolling off of him. His dark eyes were like black flame, ready to scorch anyone who crossed his gaze. I shivered. Fang could be really scary when he was like that.

Dylan scowled and turned back to me. "Forget it." He stalked off, hands in his pockets.

I looked up at Fang. His eyes were still blazing as he watched Dylan walk away.

"You might want to control your temper, Bone Boy," Ella said, half-joking. "The last time I saw a kid of Hades get angry, they unleashed a couple of their army of the undead on some pretty unsuspecting campers."

A smile quirked one side of Fang's mouth. "Gee," he said sarcastically. "That would be a horrible loss, losing the guy who tried to kill my girlfriend."

I blushed. Would I ever get used to the idea that I was Fang's girlfriend?

I smiled and stood. "You know," I said, my voice all seriousness. "Possessiveness isn't an ideal quality in a boyfriend." I laughed. "Good morning to you too."

Lucas, Ella, Fang, and I laughed. Well… _chuckled_ in Fang's case.

Ella stood as well. "As much as I hate to tear you away from Lover Boy, Max, we have to get to archery."

Fang growled. Ella and I smirked in unison.

"See you in a few hours," I said, and kissed Fang on the lips for a quick second.

I hoped that the day would pass without incident.

Too bad that assumption was wrong.

**I know, it was long. But the next chapter will be up next week. I'm going to start updating on a weekly basis. The next chapter will probably be out, like, Tuesday or Wednesday.**

**Please review! Flames will be used to burn Dylan and my Algebra homework! (Curse you Mr. Spatz! (I'm not kidding. That's my teacher's name.)) **

**-A$h**


	9. I Kill A NotSo Mythical Creature

**Hey! **

**I want to wish everyone here a super Happy New Year! Hope you all had an awesome weekend! I want to make a shout-out to Cheyanne, who has been a gracious reviewer! Love ya!**

**I've had some questions about when this fic takes place, so I'll clarify that for you right now. This fic takes place about a month after MAX and almost a year after TLO. So that would put it right around May, or at least that's what I would assume. So it's early summer.**

**Be prepared: This chapter involves action. Woohoo!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. They all belong to their respective authors. I don't even own the plot of the seven half-bloods. :( I do, however, own Gabby, Eric, Lucas, and the enemy in which they fight. Yay!**

**See you at the bottom!**

Chapter 9: I Kill A Not-So Mythological Creature

FPOV

As I watched Max walk away with Ella, both laughing and joking around, I mentally wondered what I had done to deserve Max as my girlfriend, let alone my soulmate.

"Yo," Eric said from behind me. "Lover Boy, time for sword practice."

I muttered just enough that he could hear me, "The next person who calls me 'Lover Boy' is going to end up at the bottom of the lake tied to a rock."

Eric cackled and went to join my other half-siblings.

I sighed and followed.

"So what was up with Max and that kid last night? I totally thought she was going to die!" Gabby chatted, walking beside me. "And that would really suck, because then we'd have to wrap her in a shroud, and then burn her. That would _really_ suck! Do you think that he—_Mphhh!_"

I shot Nico a grateful glance as he covered Gabby's mouth with his hand. Gods, she was like an emo version of Nudge.

Speaking of which.

I did a quick 360. I saw Nudge was heading to the stables with her cabin, Gazzy and Iggy were at the forges, most likely teaching a few of the Hermes kids how to make a real stink bomb. And Angel was at the lake, talking with Annabeth, who was teaching her the… history, I guess you could call it, of the gods and ancient Greek.

As we walked to the cabin so we could pick up our gear, I heard the scream.

"Dragon!" someone shouted. "Prepare for battle!"

I took off running.

The moment I reached the cabin, I snatched and unsheathed my sword and ran as fast as I could for the forest. In my peripheral vision, I saw Max sprinting into the tree line, Wind Ryder in her hand, poised for a fight.

When I got to the stream, I saw something that gave me pause, though I didn't even pause for a breath.

It was a twenty-foot, real-life _dragon_, like the kind you read about in fairy tales. This one had wicked-sharp teeth, talons half as long as my sword, and bronze-colored scales. And, get this, spewing from its mouth was _fire_.

Max was right by my side. "How the heck did this get into camp?" she asked, generally stunned.

"I don't know," I said.

She looked at me. "U and A. Swoop around and attack it from either side."

I nodded.

With an almighty, _**FWIP!**_, Max and I snapped out our wings and took to the air. A few campers who had just arrived on the scene stopped and stared as we flew thirty feet into the air, and swooped around the beast. We weaved and dodged to avoid the balls of flame that came at us.

I struck first, bringing my sword to a chink in its armor. The beast shrieked, sounding like fingernails on a chalkboard, spitting more flames.

"Blind it!" Percy shouted from the ground, striking its armor with Riptide.

Max raised Wind Ryder and struck it into the dragon's right eye. Another shriek. I saw her cry out and recoil for a moment.

I did the same to the left eye.

The dragon shrieked again and stumbled around blindly, thrashing its head from side to side. I heard someone yell in pain. I couldn't see who through, because I was desperately trying to avoid being hit by its massive head and the fire it was spitting left and right.

With one final strike, Clarisse struck the dragon right through the heart with her electric spear, which had been kindly dubbed by the campers, "Lamer," as this was, apparently, her second one.

The beast continued to shriek and throw flames as it fell.

But it was dead just as it hit the ground.

I swooped around in a big circle once before landing. Max did the same.

The campers were murmuring to one another, pointing at the dragon.

Just then, Chiron came galloping up. "Who let this in the border?" he demanded loudly. He looked around at the campers, as if he would find an answer there.

No one spoke. No one even dared to so much as whisper.

Annabeth looked around nervously. "No one gave it permission, Chiron," she said quietly.

Everyone began to murmur to each other, shooting glances at Max's and my wings, which were still out. I quickly folded them.

Chiron spoke quietly to Percy. Not even I could hear what they were saying.

Then, Chiron said, "Max, Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. I need to speak to you all. Also you, Dylan." He looked around at the campers. "Also, all cabin leaders meet at the Big House. The rest of you: back to your cabins."

Max was already at my side. She looked at me questioningly. I shrugged as if to say, "No clue." Her hand reached for mine. I squeezed her fingers gently, reassuring her.

Maybe we wouldn't last as long here as we first thought.

**I know, I'm horrible with the cliffies, but that's just the way I write. I make you want to read more. *wiggles arms***

**Review please! You know you want to press the little blue button. You know you want to. You're itching to try. You want to… You're falling into a very deep sleep. LOL! But seriously guys, review. Flames are welcome, but don't be a total a**hole. 0;)**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	10. The Seven Half Bloods Revealed

**Hello, my loyal fanbase! (Or whatever you want to call yourselves.)**

**It seems that a lot of you are curious about one particular character in this story: Dylan. Allow me to explain, before my head explodes from all the math homework my stupid Algebra teacher gave us. Dylan is the same Dylan from the real books. Only, this Dylan does not have wings. It's all gonna be explained later on, trust me. Also, I got a question as to why Max "cried out and recoiled" in the last chapter. As for that, it was a typo. I had other ideas, but then I changed my mind and I forgot to delete that part. Sorry! XP**

**Fang: Wow. And you call yourself a writer.**

**Me: A good writer finds her mistakes! Luckily the reviewer caught it!**

**Percy and Fang: Whatever.**

**Me: Oh! And Iggy came by today is his cupcake car. (It's on max-dan-wiz. Trust me. It's really funny.) I kidnapped him.**

**Iggy: Why the hell am I here? Why is Fang here?**

**Fang: You and I were both kidnapped by a sadistic fangirl.**

**Iggy: Who the hell is that guy? *points to Percy***

**Fang: Percy Jackson.**

**Iggy: From the movie?**

**Fang: And the book.**

**Me: Ahem? *points and nods meaningly at readers***

**Guys: Oh, right.**

**Me: Also, I would like to clarify that I will be updated less often, as our school gets out on May 27, so we have STAR testing, CSTs, district, and finals much earlier than we're used to. So don't expect me to update every single week.**

**Disclaimer: I know James Patterson, but I am not him. Therefore I do not own Maximum Ride. Nor do I own Percy Jackson and its various characters. The prophecy that is in here (not the one from TLO) I do own. *sigh***

Chapter 10: The Seven Half-Bloods Revealed

MPOV

Chiron escorted all of us to the Big House. Inside, the game room had been converted into a meeting room. The ping-pong table was used as a regular table. Snacks were spread out on it, but no one bothered to touch them, even the flock.

"What's going on, Chiron?" asked Regina de Anda, leader of the Aphrodite cabin.

"There is a very pressing matter that needs to be discussed," he answered, his face grave. "One that leads back to last summer."

Those who had been campers last summer looked solemn. Whatever this was, I knew it couldn't be good.

Then, a girl with frizzy red hair that was pulled back in a ponytail, freckles, and piercing green eyes walked in. "Sorry I'm late," she said. She sat down next to Chiron and waited patiently, munching on some crackers.

Chiron cleared his throat. "May I introduce Rachel Dare, the Oracle."

My eyes widened. _This_ was the girl who had predicted the next Great Prophecy?

Rachel smiled at the flock and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I've heard a lot about you."

I nodded and said, "Likewise."

"So," Chiron said, "one of our spies was killed last night."

Percy nodded, looking grave.

"Who was it?" asked Katie Gardener, leader of the Demeter cabin.

"Sam Wright," I answered, remembering my dream.

Everyone looked at me.

"How did you know that?" Percy asked.

I looked up, making sure to keep my face emotionless. "Last night I had a nightmare about it. Someone, I'm not sure who though, killed him."

"How did you know Sam?" Jake asked. "There's no way you could've met him."

I shot an apologetic glance at Fang before saying, "Um… A while back I… well… I sort of _dated_ him."

Everyone's eyes got about as big as dinner plates. Apparently, they hadn't seen that coming.

"Sam was a son of Apollo," Clarisse told me. "He went out on a scout mission just before you got here. Apparently, some weird stuff was going on in Alaska. We haven't heard from him in six weeks."

I processed this. What could possibly be going on there that drew the attention of the immortals and their kids? Did it have something to do with my dream? Was this all connected somehow?

Suddenly, a man walked in. He was very good-looking. He had golden hair, tan skin, and a brilliant smile. He wore a pair of Ray-Bans and pearly white Vans. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought he was a movie star.

"Hello everybody!" the man, he had to have been about eighteen or nineteen, said in a deep, musical voice.

Dylan and Will Solace, the leader of Apollo cabin, both stood and bowed. "Father," Andrew said.

My eyes widened. _This_ was Apollo?

Apollo smiled, and it seemed to light up the room. "Yes, yes. You don't have to bow or anything. It's just little ol' me. Actually, on second thought, go right ahead!"

I frowned inwardly. This guy was so _conceited_.

Apollo took off his sunglasses and smiled right at me. "And you must be Max. Father's told me a lot about you."

Something about that made me blush. Either that, or it was because the guy was so good-looking. Of course, Fang was _way_ better-looking.

Apollo sat at the table next to Rachel and kicked his feet up. He leaned back in his chair, hands behind his neck, and said, "The Fates have seen it, Chiron. It is time."

Chiron went pale. He looked to Rachel and said, "Do you still have it?"

She nodded, set down the cracker she was eating, and tugged a leather necklace out from her collar. A small pouch was attached to the cord. She opened the pouch and pulled out a really small sheet of parchment. It didn't look really old, just like it had been opened and closed several times.

Chiron took the parchment from her and handed it to me. "It is time for the next Great Prophecy to be fulfilled," Apollo said, his voice mysterious. I rolled my eyes sarcastically.

I unrolled the parchment and stared at it. _This_ scrap of paper was someone's destiny? Wow.

Note the sarcasm.

"And not just by anyone," Chiron said. "By _you_ Maximum."

My eyes got wide and I looked up at Chiron. "You mean to say that this is _my_ destiny?"

"Just read it," Apollo said. "It'll explain everything… To a certain level, at least."

I stared hard at the paper. I took the deepest breath I could manage, and began to read.

"'_Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,_'" I recited.

"That's you, the flock, and Dylan," Apollo said.

"'_To storm or fire the world must fall_,'" I said, my voice starting to go hoarse. I was liking this less and less.

"That's reassuring," Jake Mason muttered. "After we saved it just last year."

Annabeth shot him a glare, then gripped Percy's hand.

"Just wait," Apollo said. "It gets even better."

"'_An oath to keep with a final breath_,'" I said, my breath catching in my lungs. And air sacs. An oath. Did that mean what Fang and I had promised so long ago now, after the flock had reunited, that we would never leave each other again? But we had made a lot of promises in the past, most of which we couldn't even remember now.

I could feel the tension in the room. I felt totally freaked out to read the last line. If this prophecy had been dark, then it would probably be nothing compared to the last line. Or at least I hoped. But I was no coward.

"'_And foes bear arms to the doors of Death_,'" I finished, my voice now a whisper.

All was silent.

"Well," Apollo said, rubbing his hands together. "Best be off. Don't want to keep the Council waiting."

With that, he disappeared in a flash of light.

"Whoa," Travis Stoll said. "That was intense."

"We already know about the seven half-bloods thing," Andrew said. "But what about the rest?"

"'To storm or fire the world must fall,'" Fang said. "That probably means the world's going to end."

Katie frowned. "But… does that mean that Kronos is back?"

Percy shook his head. "No. He can no longer reform. His spirit is too weak. It would take him another two thousand years just to be able to contact mortals through dreams."

I frowned.

"'An oath to keep with a final breath,'" Eric, leader of the Hades cabin, muttered.

"Uh oh," Iggy said sarcastically. "Looks like you're on the chopping block, Fang."

Both Fang and I glared daggers at Iggy, but it was one of those instances when stuff like that is lost on his blindness.

"There's one thing that really bothers me about this," I said.

"What's that?" Clarisse asked.

I looked up at everyone. "The last line. 'And foes bear arms to the doors of Death.'"

Annabeth nodded. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Does that mean that the Underworld is under attack?" Angel asked.

Katie frowned and thought. "It could be."

I frowned deeply and rubbed my forehead. Grrrrr… This was one of those times when I missed the Voice and its mysteriously vague Confucius-like statements.

_Relax,_ the Voice chimed. _And besides, the Oracle's prophecies are often more vague than even _I_. It takes a great mind to truly decipher the meaning of even one of the stanzas._

I nearly groaned out loud. _**Voice. Long time no annoy**_.

_I missed you too, Maximum,_ said the Voice equally sarcastically.

Then, it was silent.

"So…" Rachel said. "Does that mean that another quest is underway?"

Chiron nodded gravely. "Unfortunately yes." He looked to the flock and Dylan. "Max, you will lead this quest. Normally, it is only three to a quest. So don't expect to come back in full numbers."

All of us nodded, putting on brave expressions.

"So…" Rachel said, motioning to us. "What is it that you have to ask?"

I thought for a moment. Whatever this Great Prophecy was, I bet it had to do with why Sam had been killed.

After a few moments of silence, I asked, "What is our fate?" I know. Cliché. But I had to ask.

All the lights in the room suddenly went out. Green smoke began to swirl around me and Rachel. What the h-e-double toothpicks was going on?

Then, Rachel began to recite.

"_You shall dive into the Mist of the Darkest Mountain/ And find the one whose heart was stolen. / Four shall be lost in the lake of Demons/ All shall seem lost at the moment gravest/ But out of the dark one shall appear/ So victory came on wings, without a moment to spare._"

The mist disappeared. The lights came back on.

"Whoa," Gazzy said.

I nodded. "Yeah. Whoa."

***cue ominous music* I know, I know: I'm horrible with the cliffhangers. Please do not kill me! If you do, then no more A$h, and that means no more story. Would you want that?**

**Review please! Anonymous reviews are welcome, and so are flames. But please don't be a total a**hole. How would you like it if I went into your fics which you are so proud of and said, without reading it, "This sucks. Go get a life."? You wouldn't, would you? So please, think of the authors before you flame.**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h, Fang, Percy, and Iggy**


	11. Let the Quest Begin

**Hello to all you dedicated readers/reviewers! And no, I haven't died, I've been really super busy with math homework and such. Also, I believe that most of you know this by now but… James Patterson is ending the Maximum Ride series next year! This is causing me to go through my midlife crisis, like, 30 years early! (I'm only 14!) Also, in case you didn't know already, the first 23 chapters of ANGEL are on max-dan-wiz. And no, I'm not going to post them like I did with the first 8 chapters. That's just too much of a pain. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but let me just say that I almost had to do some soul-searching. Check out the link of my profile.**

**Also, many of you are concerned about the prophecy delivered in the last chapter and how "four shall die" or something like that. I'm not going to give away any spoilers, but I will remind you of what Chiron said in TLF. "Prophecies have double meanings" or something like that. Trust me, there's a lot more to this story than meets the eye.**

**Sorry for the uber long A/N, but I had to clear that up.**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Maximum Ride or any of it's related characters. Or Percy Jackson. They all belong to Misters James Patterson and Rick Riordan, the best authors EVER.**

Chapter 11: Let the Quest Begin

MPOV

Dawn. I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but people who think that the coming dawn brings hope need to get their brains checked.

I stuffed some extra clothes into my backpack, trying to ignore Ella's pleads for me not to go.

Much to my relief, we had convinced Total to stay at camp while we went on our quest. Ella and Lucas had promised to take care of him while we were gone. The last thing I need to worry about was a high-maintenanced talking dog while I was out to save the world.

"Before you go, at least IM Mom!" Ella pleaded.

I looked at her and raised my eyebrows. "'IM?'"

"Iris message," she answered. She pulled out a gold coin. "Just to let her know that you're safe."

I glanced between the coin and Ella. Her eyes were determined, and I knew she wouldn't give up so easily.

I sighed and took the coin. "Fine." Then I looked at her. "Uh… How do I Iris message?"

Ella huffed and snatched the coin back from me. "Come on."

She dragged me to the Big House, to the game room. She tossed a cup of water onto the nacho cheese maker, and steam billowed up.

"Oh, goddess of the rainbow," Ella said. "Accept my offering."

Then, she tossed the coin into the mist, where it disappeared.

"Dr. Valencia Martinez," she said. "Kingman, Arizona."

I inhaled sharply as an image appeared in the mist. It was Mom. She was in her office at the vet clinic.

"Mom!" I said.

She looked up and seemed to notice the mist. "Max! Ella!"

"Hi, Mom!" Ella said. "Guess what your other daughter is doing?"

Mom's eyes got big. "I swear, Maximum Ride, if you and Fang have been—"

I blushed bright red and said, "Whoa! No, no, no! It's nothing like that!"

Mom looked noticeably relieved. "Oh. Well… Thank goodness."

Ella rolled her eyes. "What I meant was: Max is at camp with the flock."

Mom took a deep breath. "I knew this would happen. I take it you know who your real father is?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He's a real nice guy."

Mom smiled. "Good. Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?"

Ella and I exchanged looks. "Um…" I began. "Mom… I'm going on a… I'm sort of going on a quest."

"What for?" she asked.

"To save the world," I answered simply.

Mom sat, deep in thought, for a long time. "All right. I don't see what I can do to stop you. After all, it is your choice."

I let out a sigh of relief. I knew that Mom wouldn't stop me. She would just be worried that I'd get seriously hurt or something. One of the many reasons why my mom is so freaking awesome. "Thanks."

Her expression turned stern. "But I want you to promise me something."

"Sure."

"Keep yourself safe," she said. "Don't get yourself killed."

I laughed. "Mom, I've faced death and danger pretty much every day for my whole life. This won't be any different."

"You've never faced a sword, Max. Or monsters."

I thought. "Well, I did fight a dragon the other day. And during capture the flag I did fight Fang with a sword."

She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean."

I nodded. "All right. I promise that I'll try not to get killed."

Mom smiled. "And please come back all in one piece."

I nodded, turning serious. "I will. And I promise to do the same for the flock."

Mom nodded. "Now get going, my little heroes."

Ella and I smiled. "Bye, Mom," we said in unison.

Mom waved her hand in front of the image, and the mist disappeared.

"Well," I said. "It's time we get back to the cabin."

**This is a line break.**

The flock and Dylan gathered on Half-Blood Hill at six' o'clock sharp. Argus, who was camp security and had, from what Ella and Lucas told me, one-hundred eyes, was waiting by a white van. Dylan didn't have wings, so Argus would drive us to New York City.

Ella hugged me goodbye. "Try not to get yourself killed," she whispered.

"I promised Mom, and I'll promise you," I said.

We pulled apart and smiled sadly. She walked over to Iggy to say her goodbyes.

I walked over to Lucas and hugged him. Sure he wasn't my full brother, but he was a good friend nonetheless.

"Try not to do anything stupid," he said.

I laughed. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't."

The others said goodbye to their friends and half-siblings.

Chiron motioned for me to come over. He was in his wheelchair form, for reasons that I didn't know. He looked tired and gaunt. I knew he was thousands of years old, but just two days ago he'd looked young and healthy. Now he looked like he was starting to go grey around the edges.

"Maximum," he said. "I want you to remember something: Monsters and immortals are only able to be hurt by celestial bronze or any magical weapon. Regular weapons cannot hurt them. Mortals, on the other hand, cannot be harmed by magical weapons. But demigods, they have the best of both worlds. They can be harmed by both regular and magical weapons."

I thought about this. "Gee," I said. "Thanks." Great. Not only did I have to save the world, but I had to save it with twice the vulnerability of a normal person.

Chiron smiled at me. "I know of your concerns, Maximum. But try not to focus on that. Focus on the matter at hand."

I nodded, making my expression determined.

"Also," he said. "Remember that prophecies often have double meanings. Do not dwell in the future, Max. Think about what you are doing right here. Right now."

"Max!" Nudge called. "C'mon!"

I looked back at her and said, "I'll be right there." I looked at Chiron. "Thank you, Chiron, for that."

He smiled. "No thanks is necessary. Now get going."

I ran down the hill and hopped into the van next to Fang. I gripped his hand tightly in mine.

Our quest had now begun.

**And so the real plot begins!**

**Shout outs, since I didn't get to do them before: Crazy about books13 (my BFF from MMS. Check out her profile. She's awesome!)and Gabby (the anonymous reviewer with the same name as one of my characters in this story).**

**Please, please, please review! Anonymous reviews are welcome as always and so is constructive criticism! But no flames please! I wouldn't go review your story saying, "You suck, go get a life." So please don't do it to me!**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


	12. Empire State of Mind

**Hey everybody.**

**I wasn't gonna update until tomorrow, but something made me change my mind.**

**My best friend at school, who is Crazy about books13, has a friend. That friend had a little sister until last night, when she died in the hospital. I'm not sure how old she was, but I know she was very, very young. I just found out that she died, and because Crazy about books13 is my absolute BFFL, I have to update in honor for KK (the little girl who died).**

**So, in honor of KK and Crazy about books13, here is the next chapter of Greek Angels.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

Chapter 12: Empire State of Mind

MPOV

Have I ever mentioned how much I hate small enclosed spaces? I believe I have.

So you can imagine how I felt being put into a van with six other people and a dude with one-hundred eyes who kept staring at us from (And I mean this quite literally.) out of the back of his head.

It was a real long drive to New York. Only about twenty minutes. But it felt like an eternity to me.

By the time Argus dropped us off at the Greyhound station in NYC, I was about ready to take out Dylan. (Not that I wasn't already.)

"This place is giving me the creeps," I murmured to Fang after we had gotten our tickets.

"You too?" he whispered back, and I elbowed him.

While we waited for our Greyhound to show up, we decided to play a game of telephone. But violence broke out occasionally due to what some of us _thought_ we heard and what was originally said. How "Iggy's a pervert" can turn into "Max and Fang did _it_" is a mystery to me.

"I feel like… like we're being watched," Iggy said.

I looked at him skeptically. "It's a bus station, Ig."

He shook his head. "No. Not just that. I feel like… someone's following us."

"Iggy might be right," Dylan said. "I mean, we have two kids of the Big Three. Monsters can probably pick up the scent all the way from Delaware."

"Big Three?" Nudge asked, looking up from her magazine.

"The original three gods," I answered. "Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Their children, like me, Fang, and Percy, have strong auras. Monsters usually pick up our scent pretty quickly if we're out in the mortal world, because we're so powerful."

"Powerful like how?" Gazzy asked.

"Like how I can call up an army of the dead," Fang said. "And how when Percy's around water he can control it."

"And how children of Zeus can do this," I said. I reached out and touched Dylan's arm. Suddenly, a small volt of electricity jumped from my hand to his arm.

"Ouch!" he said loudly, jumping back. "That hurt!"

"What did you expect?" I asked sarcastically. "Roses to leap from my fingertips?"

He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "That would be ideal."

"I can do that!" Angel said. "But I'm better at orchids, daisies, and wildflowers. Roses are really hard."

I smiled and laughed.

By the time our Greyhound showed up, it had started to rain.

"Couldn't you ask your dad to make it warm and sunny?" Dylan asked bitterly.

I scowled at him and said, "Not my choice."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

As the Greyhound drove towards New Jersey, Fang and I talked quietly.

"So what's this 'Darkest Mountain' Rachel talked about?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she was talking about Mount Tam."

I didn't have to say anything. I just raised an eyebrow.

"Mount Tamalpais," Fang started, "was basically the home base of the Titans back when they were in power. It's located in San Francisco. It's also where the Garden of the Hesperides is. You know, the golden apples of immortality that Hercules tried to steal? It's also where Atlas holds up the sky."

I thought about this. "I could see why it's called the Darkest Mountain."

"It's also called the Mountain of Despair," Angel said, poking her head over her seat and turning to face us. "Annabeth told me that."

I smiled wryly. "What a nice name." I pretty sure I sounded 85.9% sarcastic, and 15.1% bitter.

When the Greyhound stopped in Philadelphia, we got off.

"So what's the plan, Lightning Girl?" Iggy asked.

I thought long and hard for a moment. I also thought about my dream and both prophecies. "We get on the next train headed for California."

Nudge cheered. "Surf, sun, and sand! Finally! I was really beginning to miss Hawaii."

I muttered, "Yeah. And Mr. Chu and the Krelp."

"Let's find a train station," Fang suggested. "I'm liking the idea of staying out in the open less and less."

I nodded. "A wonderful suggestion." I turned to the others. "Why don't you go get something to eat? Fang and I will go get the tickets. Meet us at Independence Hall in a half-hour."

The others nodded and went to go look for the nearest hotdog stand, which, like in New York, weren't uncommon.

As we walked to the train station, I whispered to Fang, "I have a bad feeling."

He whispered back, "You too?"

"Maybe we should circle around, throw whoever's following us off the scent."

Fang nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

But before we could even move, a voice, high, cold, and quiet, said behind us, "Not so fast."

**This was just a filler chapter, but the next one gets interesting. (Fight scene and old faces.)**

**Reviews are dedicated to KK and her family. They're in my prayers, and I hope that they're in yours too. Flames will not be accepted for this chapter at all, but constructive criticism is.**

**-A$h**


	13. I Got A Feelin'

**Me: Hello, my faithful readers! I only have 2 and a half hours until I get the new Maximum Ride book! And I also want to thank you all for your prayers for KK and her family. They really, really appreciated your help and concern. It made Crazy about books13 smile. ;)**

**Fang: Can I at least give you a spoiler?**

**Me: No! I did that with the last one, and the spoiler was 100% correct. I don't want to go through that again!**

**Percy and Fang: **_**PLEASSSE?**_

**Me: No, and that is my final answer.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

Chapter 13: I Got A Feelin', That Maybe We're About To Be Attacked

MPOV

I turned around and drew Wind Ryder as fast as I could, which was pretty fast.

In front of me were two girls. I recognized both of them pretty quickly. They were Lissa and Brigid.

They looked perfectly normal, except for the fact that both of their red hair was literally on _fire_ and they had two different types of legs, one made of bronze and the other a donkey leg.

I growled. "And just when I thought my day couldn't get any better."

Lissa, better known as the Red-Haired Wonder, smiled evilly, revealing gleaming white, razor sharp fangs. "Tut, tut. Best to watch your manners, Maxie, or I might just bite your little boyfriend here."

Fang glared hard at both girls, his eyes turning into a dark fire.

"What are you, then?" I taunted. "A vampire? Aren't you supposed to sparkle in sunlight? Oh, right. Those are the gay ones. In reality you're supposed to turn to dust."

I could tell I made her mad, because her flaming hair arched. "Hm… But so many to choose from. No matter, Lover Boy here will make an excellent snack."

As she made a move towards Fang, I launched at her, already on full attack mode.

But Lissa was fast, even faster than I was. Before I could touch her with the tip of Wind Ryder, she had already gotten out of the way and shoved me onto the concrete, my back slamming painfully.

Before you could count to one, I was up on my feet again, this time trying to attack from a different angle.

"Hold still so I can rip your heart out!" Red-Haired Wonder shrieked, trying to take swipes at me. But I was too fast for her, and moved fast, fast, fast. I weaved and bobbed and dodged, making it look like I was attacking her from all angles. I had done the same thing to Omega back in Germany.

Finally, I got under her guard and stabbed her in her ribcage. She exploded into a fine dust, which was carried away by the wind.

All this time, Fang had been fighting Brigid. He was stronger than her, but she was faster. Every time she tried to strike him, he would just block her.

Brigid snarled. "You little—!"

She didn't even have time to finish her sentence before Fang had stabbed her right through her black heart, having seized his chance. She, like the Red-Haired Wonder, was blown to dust.

"That was… interesting," Fang said, sheathing his sword.

I nodded, sheathing Wind Ryder. "Let's get out of here before the mortals start to notice."

We went and got the tickets, then met up with the flock at Independence Hall.

"What happened to you guys?" Iggy asked. He had a way of sensing if something was wrong with all of us, and now was no exception.

I quickly explained to them what had happened, about how Dr. Stupendous and the Red-Haired Wonder "popped in" for a "visit."

Iggy swore under his breath. "I can't believe those (insert swear word here) had the gall to show up like that."

"They were monsters, Ig," I explained. "They're everywhere."

**This is a line break.**

As it turned out, the next train for California didn't leave until the next morning. So, we got a hotel.

Thanks to Angel's ability to control minds, we were able to get two adjoining rooms. The girls had one, and the guys had the other.

"So what kind of monsters were they?" Nudge asked as I brushed my hair.

"They were _emposai_," I answered. "Servants of Hecate. They're basically where all the legends of vampires come from. Except they have the leg of a donkey and a bronze leg."

Angel and Nudge shuddered. "They were gonna hurt Fang, weren't they?" Angel asked.

I froze. "Maybe. But they're gone now. And plus, Fang can take care of himself."

Both girls nodded, but were still solemn.

"Look," I said, sighing. "Nobody and nothing can hurt us. And I swear on my life that I won't let anything happen to you guys."

"You can't promise that, Max," Nudge said, her eyes swimming with tears. "Remember the prophecies? 'An oath to keep with a final breath' and 'four shall be lost in the lake of Demons.' You can't keep us safe. At least, not for very long."

I frowned. "But I can try. You guys are my family, and I'll do anything to keep you alive, even if it means giving up my own life."

**This is a line break.**

I couldn't sleep that night, so I flew up to the roof of the hotel to get some fresh air.

"Thought I might find you here," a deep, quiet voice said from behind me.

I turned and smiled. "Hey."

Fang gave me one of his half-grins. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

Fang sat next to me. I felt the warmth of his body on mine and felt instantly comforted. We hadn't had a lot of time to be alone the last few days, which sucked.

"Is it the prophecies, or seeing Brigid and Lissa today?" he asked. Only he could cut to the heart of the matter like that.

I sighed. "A little bit of both I guess."

"You'll be fine," he said, putting an arm around my shoulders. "And besides, if we get lucky then they won't reform in our lifetime."

"Knowing our luck that won't happen," I muttered bitterly.

He frowned. "Look, Max, don't spend all of your time worrying about those kinds of things. All that matters is that we're together right now. You have the flock, you have your sister and half-brother, and you have me."

I looked up at him. "That's the thing. 'Four shall be lost in the lake of Demons.' I'm going to lose some of you. I admit, losing Dylan wouldn't really suck that much, but also losing three others would."

Fang thought for a moment. "Then make the best of it right now. Don't spend all of your energy worrying about it."

I nodded. "You're probably right."

Fang lifted my chin with his finger, making me look him in the eyes. "I know I'm right."

Slowly, we closed the little space there was between us, and he pulled me into a passionate kiss.

I smiled and tilted my head to deepen the kiss. I tangled my hands in his dark, overgrown hair. We pressed together. I relished the feeling of his warm body on mine.

When we broke apart, which was a while later, our breathing was ragged. I stared into his eyes, which glinted occasionally in the dark light.

Some part in the back of my mind wondered if Fang would be one of those who would be lost in the 'lake of Demons,' like the prophecy said. If that was the case, then I wouldn't be able to go on. Not without him.

I felt a cold jolt run down my spine at the thought, so I quickly shoved the offensive idea out of my head.

_Open your mind to the possibilities, Max,_ the Voice whispered.

I groaned. _Of course_ the Voice had been listening in on this whole conversation.

_**(Insert swear word here) you, Voice,**_ I thought back nastily.

_Now, now, Maximum. We don't use that kind of language where I come from._

_**But I'm not from where you are,**_ I snarled, if one _can_ snarl in one's own mind, and I believe one can.

_You and I are not so different, Maximum,_ it mused. _In fact, we are more alike than you think._

I ignored it, and it shut up.

"What is it?" Fang asked.

"The Voice," I answered, shaking my head in disgust. He nodded, understanding.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Fang said. "You're going to need it."

I nodded, standing. "All right."

I snuck through the window back into the girls' room. I fell onto the couch, curled up into a ball, and was out like a light.

But it wasn't to last.

**Me: So… yeah. It wasn't my best work, but it's better than some of my earlier fics.**

**Percy: Where am **_**I**_** in this story?**

**Me: There'll be a chapter all about you after chapter 19. I guarantee it.**

**Percy: XP **

**Me: Whatever.**

**So… review. Reviews bring me happiness. Flames are not accepted, but constructive criticism is.**

**-A$h**


	14. Nightmares Reprise!

**I know, I haven't updated in for-e-ver! Please don't kill me! Anywhoo… I finished ANGEL. It. Was. Freaking. AMAZING! Except for Maya, Dylan, and the end. But I loved it when Max and Fang argued! Fang: Max! Don't hang up! Max: *shuts phone* LOL!**

**And it other news, I have officially permanently discontinued my story "The Safehouse." Too many other ideas and writers' block.**

**Also, I have started three other stories. The first is a Max Ride/Harry Potter/Percy Jackson/Twilight/Hunger Games crossover, which involves lots of arguing and battles. The second is a story set during School's Out—Forever called "Midsummer Night's Flock," in which the three oldest flock members must read Shakespeare for their English class. Chaos and jealousy ensue. And the last is a sequel to ANGEL called "Maximum Ride: The Maximum Ending." (My best work EVER.)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson, Maximum Ride, or the basic plotline. Everything else is mine.**

Chapter 14: Nightmares—Reprise

MPOV

I dreamt I was back in the cave. Sam's body was gone, but I could still feel the cold presence of something evil.

"My lord," said the man with green-grey eyes. "Our scouts just reported that they were last seen in Philadelphia. They have been given a quest. The camp is also aware that the boy is dead."

"Good, good," said the disembodied voice. It sounded less hallow now, and more lifelike. "Where are they going to?"

"Before they were… killed… our two _emposai_ reported that they overheard that they were headed for California, master. To San Francisco."

The voice laughed. It sent horribly cold shivers up my spine. I imagine it was what Death himself sounded like. (Though, Death in this case might mean Hades. I don't really know.) "Those foolish heroes. They think that it is the _Titans_ that are causing all of this foolishness. Ha! They have forgotten the Old Ways, and will perish."

I walked a little closer. I could see the man with green-grey eyes. He was dressed in faded jeans, a white t-shirt, a brown leather jacket, and loafers. A broadsword was strapped to his side, though I couldn't make out the material it was made of.

"Of course, my lord," the man said. "But what of the girl?"

"What use is she to me?" the voice asked. It paused for a few moments. "Why do you ask?"

The man hesitated for a moment. "I was hoping that… I could use her as a slave, my lord."

The voice pondered, if voices could do that. "A slave?" it mused. "What an entertaining idea." A few more moments of silence. "All right. She is one demigod worthy of saving, as it was her destiny that was predicted with the Great Prophecy."

I felt a jolt. They were talking about _me_.

Both laughed, their voices echoing throughout the cave.

Then I was somewhere else. It was a lake. It was surrounded by mountains shrouded in mist. Even the lake was covered in the thick, white fog. The air was cold, and smelled heavily of pine. Chills ran up my spine, and goosebumps appeared on my arms.

Suddenly, the mist cleared a little bit, and I could see farther out onto the lake. Standing on the grey, placid water was… Angel.

Her eyes were closed. Her blonde curls were floating around her face like she was underwater. Her skin was pale.

Then Angel's eyes opened. They were emotionless and vague. Like she was looking at the world but not seeing anything. Like how Iggy was.

"Angel!" I called. "Angel, sweetie, it's me. It's Max."

Silence. She didn't even seem to notice I was there.

It all happened so fast. The water seemed to part the slightest, and Angel fell into it, screaming like she was being murdered by a psycho with a chainsaw.

I screamed too, and started to run towards the water. But it seemed that the faster I ran, the farther away from the lake I got.

Then, I was in a graveyard. It was bleak and cold, with leafless trees. Grey clouds covered the entire landscape. Mist covered the ground, like it had the lake. A raven was in one of the trees, but I couldn't see it. I only knew it was there because it wouldn't shut up.

I was standing in front of a gravestone. It was made of obsidian, as dark as Fang's eyes.

But the graveyard wasn't what scared me. It was what the stone said that did.

**Fang Ride**

I fell to my knees and screamed. It couldn't be! It just couldn't! He wouldn't die!

The scene changed again. This time I was at that school in Virginia. I was in one of the science classrooms. A group of whitecoats—chills ran down my spine at the memory of our former captors—surrounded one of the tables, discussing something. White mist curled around their ankles.

I was forced to look at what was on the table. It was Nudge. She was covered in a white sheet. Her face was pale and lifeless. Her coffee brown eyes were open, staring at nothing. I felt tears streak down my face. Why couldn't I wake up?

Again the scene changed. This time I was back at that school in Utah that Jeb and Mom had tried to make us go to. It was the same as when Iggy and Gazzy had blown up the M-Geeks. Mist was covering the landscape, like it had for all of the scenes.

I was standing over the leader of the M-Geeks. Only this time it wasn't the Ari look-alike. It was Iggy. He was all scorched and burned and bloody. His sightless eyes were closed. I turned away.

And faced a new scene.

I was back at the School. In the same room where I had been kept since I was born. There was more mist. I wasn't in a cage though. I was watching Gazzy, who was bloody and limp, being thrown into a cage.

His blue eyes, so like Angel's, were open, but not seeing anything. He was lifeless. Literally. He was dead.

"Leave it," one of the whitecoats said. "We'll let the Erasers take care of him." The whitecoats laughed and left the room.

**Since the first A/N was so long I didn't get to tell you everything. I want to thank you all for your reviews for the last chapter. They bring me great happiness!**

**Also, I got a request from someone (sorry that I can't remember your name!) for more Percy in this fic. Don't worry. I'm currently getting that project underway. (You'll get more Percy after chapter, like, 18. I can't remember what it was.)**

**Next, since I want to tell you guys, I have TWO high school orientations tomorrow! Two! One is during school and the other is after school. (The second is for parents and students.) I also am top reader in the whole school right now. (A sixth grader was beating me before. Isn't that pathetic?)**

**Also, for those of you who believe that Maximum Ride cannot be related to real life, think about this: In the seventh book Max mentions that one of her shoelaces broke, so she has to hold it to her foot with paperclips. Today after PE (which is my first class) my freaking shoelace BROKE! I started to get mad, but then I remembered the book and was like, "Duh!" So I asked my math teacher for some paper clips, and had to explain why to the WHOLE CLASS. Not fun. But at least my shoe stayed on all day. (And I have to walk home.)**

***gasps for breath* All right. REALLLLY long author's note aside, please R&R! (If you don't hate me for the A/N's already.) Flames are not accepted, but constructive criticism is.**

**-A$h**


	15. California or Bust

**Hey, everybody! I know it's been, like, a million years since I updated (two months), but I'm back now! My internet was stupid and died, but I got it fixed on Friday, so now it's up! And I have no more homework due to seriously overrated CSTs/STAR testing.**

**I want to thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter! You guys are fantabulous! Over 130 reviews! Holy crap! You guys are the best! A special shout-out to Maximum Ride is awesome98, one freaking awesome reviewer! You rock dude!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Don't sue.**

Chapter 15: California Or Bust

MPOV

I awoke to someone touching my shoulder.

"Max," Angel's voice whispered. "Wake up!"

I gasped. My eyes snapped open. I could still feel the cold chill that I had felt during the dream. The high, cold laughter reverberated in my head.

I ran my hand over my forehead. I was coated in a sheen of cold sweat, and shivering like heck.

"Max!" Nudge said, her voice sounding young and scared. "You were screaming in your sleep! You wouldn't wake up for the longest time!"

I sat up slowly. I felt clammy and ill. "Just a nightmare," I muttered.

"Some nightmare," Iggy said as he walked through the door that adjoined the girls' room to the guys'. "I could hear you from in there. It sounded like you were being murdered by some psycho with an axe."

I ran a hand through my messy hair. Should I tell them? Maybe it would be a good idea.

"Are you all right?" Dylan asked.

I tried really, _really_ hard not to glare at him, and _almost_ succeeded. "Peachy," I said sarcastically. "Never better."

He frowned, his perfect eyebrows knitting together like he was trying to understand. Didn't this guy know what sarcasm was?

"What time is it?" I asked, glancing around for a clock.

"Five-thirty in the morning," Fang answered.

I put my head in my hands. I still couldn't get the dream out of my head. It was like it was a part of me, like it was forever engrained into my mind.

"The train leaves in an hour," Gazzy said.

I swung my legs over the side of the couch and said, "Let's get this show on the road, then."

The next half-hour was a flurry of activity, so I didn't have time to tell Fang or any of the others about my dream.

When we arrived at the train station, it was packed full of people. Tourists, business people, college students, homeless people begging for money, musicians playing their instruments and dancers trying to make a quick buck so they could head west. I even saw a few runaways. It all made me twitchy, and I half-expected someone to turn into an Eraser, Flyboy, M-Geek, or various monster at any second.

When we had actually gotten onto the train and were speeding along, I whispered to Fang, "I still feel like we're being watched."

He looked at me. "Yeah. But I think it's just your paranoia getting to you again."

I smirked. "And how many times has my paranoia saved our butts?"

That made him frown. "Touché."

By noon, we were only passing through Ohio. It reminded me how quickly we would be able to get to California if we were able to fly. Curse Dylan and his inability to have wings!

Fang took my hand and said, "Don't worry."

I looked at him. It still amazed me how he could practically read my mind, even though he didn't have that sort of power like Angel did. But I still couldn't get the image of his gravestone out of my head.

"I need to tell you about my nightmare," I whispered to him. He raised a dark eyebrow. I told him quickly every single bit of the nightmare, right down to the part where I saw his grave.

When I was done, Fang stared intently into my eyes. He knew how much the deaths of the flock would break me, so he knew that this was my absolute _worst_ nightmare _ever_.

He wrapped his arms around me. "It was just a nightmare," he murmured. "I'm here for you. You don't have to worry about it."

But we both knew that that wasn't the whole truth.

Because the prophecies were still haunting our minds.

**This is a line break.**

For three incredibly _long_ and _boring_ days we were on that train, only allowed three hours to stop and stretch our legs in various cities.

The sad part was, we didn't exactly have enough money to go _all the way _to California. So we were practically thrown off the train in Salt Lake City.

"Now what are we gonna do?" Nudge wailed. "We have no money, no transportation that we can _all _use, and we still have no clue where to go after San Fran!"

I sent her a silencing glance. "Where there's a will, there's a way," I said.

"It sort of depends on the will," Iggy said sarcastically as we walked down one street. "But if there _is_ a will, not the metaphorical one, then I want to be in it!"

It was enough to boost our morale and make us laugh. Or, in Fang's case, chuckle.

"What about the Max Ride card?" Angel asked.

I shook my head. "I lost that back in Germany."

Both Nudge and Angel groaned.

Just then, the back of my neck prickled.

"Need a ride, kids?" a cold voice asked from behind.

We all spun around, ready to strike. But something about this person make me stop.

He had a military-like buzz-cut, a leather jacket, red-tinted sunglasses, combat boots, and was riding a Harley. I felt pure, undiluted anger burn at my insides. I wanted to pick a fight, mainly with this guy.

"Now, now," he said, his tone joking. "You don't want to be doing that. After all, we're family."

I stared hard at the man. Were those _flames_ behind those sunglasses?

"Who are you?" I asked coldly.

He grinned a predator's grin. "The name's Ares, God of War."

That was when my day really started to go downhill.

**Fang & Percy: Happy (seriously belated) birthday to you! Happy (seriously belated) birthday to you! Happy (seriously belated) birthday dear Crazy about books13! Happy (seriously belated) birthday to you!**

**This chapter is especially dedicated to Crazy about books13, my BFFL, whose birthday was last month! (Oops.) Love ya girly! Stop by her profile and check out her stories! They are sure to make you laugh!**

**The second piece of news: I will be posting the Maximum End fic NEXT week. It's official! Woot woot! You guys will freaking LOVE it. Test: ΔΓ**

**Ignore that test. I just need to see if something works for my Maximum End fic, 'cause I need to write those letters on occasion for the fic.**

**Aside from that short break, please review! And also, thank you to all of you who said that this is the best Percy/Max crossover! It makes me feel good inside!**

**-A$h, Percy, and Fang.**


	16. God of War or Trickery?

**I know. It's been **_**forever**_** since I updated. But I have a reasonable excuse! You see, my teacher kept piling on the homework, so I had little or no time to update since I also have to make dinner for my family four days a week. And when it wasn't homework, it was a computer issue. Like, my internet was down for about a month. And then I got grounded for a while.**

**So now finally I can update now that I am on summer vacation! I'll try to get as much done as I can on this fic since I'll be even busier once school starts since I'm doing JROTC (junior military stuff), AP Human Geo, and Pre-AP English. I'm also taking French, possibly. I won't know until the first day of school.**

**Another thing, I'm suffering the worst case of writer's block on one of the chapters for this story. D: It's been about three months and I still have no clue what to write.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride or Percy Jackson. Happy now?**

Chapter 16: God of War Or God of Trickery?

MPOV

"What do you want?" Fang asked, his voice like steel knives.

Ares looked at him and smirked. "Look, Bone Boy, I was talking to the lady here. If you would be so kind as to shut up now, it would be greatly appreciated."

I instantly thought of the phrase: If looks could kill. Because if they could, the God of War would've been a pile of ash.

He turned back to me. "So, I'll ask you one more time: Do you need a ride?"

I looked him over. I felt that I couldn't trust this guy, even if he was my half-brother. "Why should we trust you?" I asked.

Ares leaned close. "Look, Maxie—" I growled at the nickname "—you and I both know that I'm not just in the business of helping demigods 'cause they're so darn special."

I felt a chill go down my back. Anne Walker, the Director of the School, had said that to me when she first met me.

"Here's the deal," he said. "You and your flock are of interest to immortals." He glanced around like he was afraid of being overheard. "_All_ immortals. You guys are powerful. You alone have enough power stored in you to take out the entire Northern hemisphere with one swipe of your hand. This has got all us gods worried, especially Athena, that one day you really _will_. But Zeus, being his usually over-protective self, said that you're the key to a lot of things. I'm pretty sure you've been told that before?" I nodded. Jeb, Anne, and countless others had told me that on several occasions. "He seems to think that you'll be the one to save the world—for good—this time. So, he hired all of us trackers to find you went you went missing almost fifteen years ago. He said that if you were to get into the wrong hands, then everything would go kablooey. Now that would mean that there would be no one to worship me, and I don't want to see that happen. So I'm gonna offer this to you one more time: Do you need a ride?"

I thought about all that he had just said. Was this guy serious? Did I really have that kind of power within me?

"Say I accepted," I said coolly. "What's this ride you're dangling in front of me?"

Ares grinned and gestured to the mall parking lot across the street. A black Ferrari was sitting in an open space.

"How do you expect for all of us to fit in _that_?" Gazzy asked, stunned.

Ares grinned at the kid and took off his shades. There really _were_ flames in his eye sockets. "Don't underestimate the powers of the gods, kid. You might not live to regret it."

Then, suddenly, Ares was gone.

"That was intriguing," Dylan said.

I rolled my eyes. "It was anything but," I muttered.

We walked across the street to the lot, where the car was.

"Remember the last time we stole a car," Fang murmured in my ear, referring to the time we made a Jigsaw of a car in Florida.

I rolled my eyes. "Contrary to what you believe, I _do_ in fact remember."

The last couple of times we'd stolen a car it had turned out badly. The first time we got in a car accident with some Erasers. The next time we got pulled over by a state trooper, but only because the speedometer wasn't working. See? We have a good excuse!

We piled into the car, which was surprisingly roomy. There was room for three in the front seat, and four in the back.

Because I lost in rock-paper-scissors, Fang got to drive. Iggy had offered, but Fang and I made sure that he lost. The last thing we need was for a blind pyromaniac to be driving a Ferrari 360 Spyder.

Once we were on the road, Nudge, who sitting in between me and Fang, started messing with the radio.

"Please, Nudge!" Iggy pleaded. "No Gaga!"

Nudge sang along louder to "Just Dance," totally ignoring Iggy's request.

After about ten extremely _slow_ miles of listening to Nudge sing along to Usher, Mary J. Blige, Beyoncé, and many others, I reached over and changed the radio to a pop-rock station.

Iggy, Gazzy, Dylan, Fang and I all let out sighs of relief when we heard the strong guitar strums and drum beats. I liked this song. It was "Misery Business" by Paramore, one of my favorite bands.

By nightfall, most of us had already fallen asleep.

"Fang," I said. "You need to rest. We should find a hotel and—"

"I'm fine, Max," Fang said, keeping his eyes on the road.

Nudge shifted and laid her head on my shoulder.

I stared at Fang. "No you're not. I can just look at you and tell—"

"I'm fine, Max," he repeated, this time a little more forcefully.

I sighed and sat back, staring straight ahead. Music played softly from the speakers. I didn't bother paying attention to the song. I wasn't in the mood.

Soon it became too much to keep my eyes open. I closed them, and was asleep in a heartbeat.

**I'm horrible with cliffies, aren't I? Anyway, I'll be trying to update on a weekly basis if I ever get that chapter done. If I don't then this fic will take a while. Also, check out "The Maximum End!" I finally put it up! Chapter **_**will**_** come on a weekly basis due to my plethora (I used a vocabulary word! Mrs. Gibbs would be proud.) of ideas and lack of writer's block. "Midsummer Night's Flock" will take a while to get off the ground since I no longer have "A Midsummer Night's Dream." T.T**

**Okay, so if you don't hate me for the uber long author's notes, review! Please! I haven't had any reviews in the last week and that makes me sad. :(**

**Peace, Love, Happiness, and Maximum Ride.**

**-A$h**


End file.
